Pistons are wary of Davis

Warriors point guard, averaging 15.7 points, is similar to Billups in importance to his team.
By Joanne C. Gerstner


The Pistons have been doing their homework, preparing for another test Friday.
The pest, er, test will come in the form of Warriors point guard Baron Davis.


The Pistons play at Golden State that night, and contending with Davis is the top assignment.

They already have a pretty good clue how to play Davis. All they have to do is check out their own dominant point guard -- Chauncey Billups.


Davis golden for Warriors
By Chris Silva


The Golden State Warriors' resurrection this season can be traced to one man: Baron Davis.
Davis, whom Golden State acquired from New Orleans at the trade deadline last season for Speedy Claxton and current Piston Dale Davis, has given the Warriors a new look and a huge spark.


The Pistons face Golden State in Oakland on Friday night, and the Warriors are actually winning. After perennially residing in the basement of the Western Conference's Pacific Division, the Warriors were 12-6 heading into Wednesday night's game against Phoenix.


With Davis, Warriors become a force
By A. Sherrod Blakely


Good point guard play is usually crucial for the most successful NBA teams.
That has certainly been the case in Golden State, where all-star Baron Davis has catapulted the often bottom-dwelling Warriors near the top of the Western Conference standings.


"As he goes is how they go," said Pistons coach Flip Saunders, who coached Davis during the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. "A guy like him, as dynamic as he is, has the ball in his hands and can make plays and has no fear in late-game situations. He's the big difference, there's no question."


Ex-Pistons star Bing gets NBA players to invest in Detroit
A/P

Detroit Pistons star-turned-businessman Dave Bing says he's recruited several current and former N-B-A players to invest in a Detroit housing business.


Bing says they are Isiah Thomas, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Steve Smith and Derrick Coleman.


He's seeking other athletes as well.

Bing says he plans to raise five (M) million to ten (M) million dollars from about eight current and former athletes and form the company within 60 days.


Pests are gone, now Warriors get NBA's beasts
By Monte Poole

With his team on the cusp of the NBA's version of manhood, he is rounding into shape at the practically perfect time, as the pests are departing and the beasts arrive.
Here is where we begin to get an idea of how far Baron Davis can lead the Warriors.

Twelve of their 13 games remaining this month will come against teams who were in the 2005 playoffs. Only five of those games will be in Oakland, beginning with defending Pacific Division champ Phoenix tonight, followed on Friday by defending Central Division champ Detroit.



J-Rich zeroing in on All-Star berth
But Richardson has plenty of competition for a spot on the West team
By Marcus Thompson II

There's little question that Warriors guard Jason Richardson is playing at an All-Star level. To date, he's been the best player on one of the Western Conference's best teams.

He's averaging 22.5 points per game; among West guards, only Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant (32.1) and Seattle supersonic Ray Allen (23.9) average more. Richardson's also averaging 6.5 rebounds per game; among West guards, only the Sacramento Kings' Bonzi Wells (7.9) averages more. Only point guard Tony Parker's San Antonio Spurs have more wins than Richardson's Warriors.