Clippers rookie forward Blake Griffin is the real deal and, while the season is still young, he has proven himself to be pretty special and his future looks incredibly bright.
I’m probably pointing something out to you that you already know, but the more I watch of this kid the more I realize that if he manages to stay healthy we are looking at a Karl Malone-type of talent here. Serious, All-NBA caliber talent, and while Kevin Durant remains my favorite young player to watch as of right now, Blake Griffin is sure closing in fast.
BEASTLY. There was no better description I could come up with to describe Blake the very first time I watched him play college ball. Simply a man among boys, not only in strength and agility around the rim, but in the way he handled himself so maturely on and off the court. Of course, the 22 points and 14 boards he averaged in his final college season, or even the school-record thirty double-doubles, were not truly indicative of how dominant he was at times.
On to the present where, despite coming off a stress-fracture in his left knee (he has a minor history of knee issues dating to 2008) that eliminated his entire rookie campaign, the man is averaging 18.5 points and ten boards, including 26 and ten (with only one turnover) in last night’s loss to the Nuggets. Griffin’s jumpshot, when his feet are squared, is incredibly effective and when he throws his body around hustling for offensive rebounds he does so with much more control than, say, an Anderson Varejao, and this has resulted in second-chance points that other “energy guys” don’t often account for. His pick-and-roll defense could use some work but with time this is a guy who will figure it all out, especially because he owns the athleticism to be a KG-type of defensive stalwart.
Amazingly enough, he’s accruing bunches of these statistics through pure hustle-plays, as starter Baron Davis simply chucks the ball with terrible efficiency (.324 from the field, .111 from downtown this season) instead of throwing a decent entry pass to his bigs and turns the ball over nearly as often as he records dimes. It’s also the type of turnovers that hurt Davis’ standing, unforced errors that a veteran of his talent simply shouldn’t be making. If utilized properly I think a lot of NBA folks would take a Kaman/Griffin frontcourt over most other tandems in the league. Are you listening Baron?!
On the bright side for Clippers fans, Eric Bledsoe is showing some tremendous ability lately, recording 21 assists in the past two games while shooting over 68 percent from the floor. In one of those contests they defeated Oklahoma City - I’m sure those are the kinds of numbers and results that Blake and his mates can thrive upon. His turnover numbers are comparable to Davis’ during the past two games but for a raw rookie that can be expected somewhat and should improve. Unless Vinny Del Negro happens to coach your squad - then I’m not so sure.
I know Los Angeles is truly a Lakers town right now (back-to-back titles will do that) but I sincerely hope that true NBA fans keep their eye on this guy. His work ethic, explosiveness, energy, and talent are making Clippers’ games a must watch for the first time since the Loy Vaught, Mark Jackson, Ken Norman days. Joking, I think…
It’s not often that you are able to witness a potential great from the very beginning. I’m looking forward to watching this kid play for the next fifteen years.
Take a look yourself if you can.