Warriors' Davis should have been All-Star

Baron Davis got robbed. You know it, I know it, Don Nelson knows it. And -- most crucial to the Warriors' future fortunes -- Davis knows it.

Davis was snubbed, excluded from the 2008 All-Star West team. The reserves were announced Thursday night. Steve Nash and Chris Paul, as expected, filled the two reserve guard starts. The wild-card spots went to Portland youngster Brandon Roy and to New Orleans' David West. No room for the most electric point guard in the West.

If you live in a Warriors-centric world and watch Davis every night, dating to last year's late-season push and the thrilling playoffs, this is a shocking snub. No matter how crowded the West field and how strong the competition, Davis deserved to be in the All-Star Game.

"It's a shame really," Nelson said on his KNBR radio show. "For him not to make it is kind of a disgrace. I'm pretty disappointed with the coaches in the West."

The coaches choose the reserves. Some of them (such as New Orleans' Byron Scott) don't like Davis. Others have different motivations. But the result is that Davis will not be in New Orleans on Feb. 17.

For the 11th consecutive year, there will be no Warriors player in the All-Star Game. Of the 16 teams in playoff position, only one is without an All-Star representative: the Warriors.

That's a slap in the face.

The Warriors and Nelson thrive on their underdog image. They loved shocking top seed Dallas and the basketball world last spring. They dig being disrespected and overlooked. It fuels their fire.

"There's a lack of respect for the franchise," Nelson said.

And this insult will fuel Davis.

Davis is a proud man and he wanted the All-Star honor. He didn't lobby for it, but it was clear that it meant a lot to him. That it would be a statement about his rejuvenated career, about his spot among the league's elite, about his role as a team leader.

His motivation is evident every time he takes the court, particularly against his All-Star competition. Against Nash, Tony Parker and most recently Paul, Davis played with inspiration, vengeance and fire.

But, apparently, that wasn't enough.

After being shunned by the Western coaches, Davis will want to make them pay for the rest of the season. He will be an even more motivated man, every night. His mantra will be, "You think I'm not good enough? Then watch this."

So that's one of the upsides of the All-Star snub.

There are other bonuses, like the issue of Davis' body. Davis is playing 39.3 minutes a night. He has been remarkably durable all season, but he can probably use a nice long weekend of rest. The All-Star snub will provide Davis with a five-day break. So that's a good thing.

Another benefit is that this ramps up the Bay Area's amusing feud with Charles Barkley. When the Western Conference results were announced on TNT's broadcast, Barkley didn't seem bothered at all by Davis' absence. He said he was pulling for Stephen Jackson, but he seemed almost inconsolable over the exclusion of Denver's Marcus Camby. Barkley didn't earn any points in the Bay Area for his Camby-obsession.

But for the Warriors, who have been shut out for so long, not being invited to the league's big party is galling. They finally have an out-of-this-world All-Star candidate, they're finally winning. Yet they're treated just like the 17-win Warriors of 2000-01: ignored.

So the gauntlet has been thrown down. The chip is firmly back on everybody's shoulder. Warriors against the world.