Since entering the NBA Blake Griffin has received his fair share of criticism. Griffin has wowed everyone with his dunking abilities, but the same factor did not go over when comparing to his game. It sounds crazy to criticize Griffin because his basketball resume is close to being as good as it gets for a player that has only played four full seasons.
In Griffin’s short stint in the NBA he has been the NBA Rookie of the Year, 4x NBA All-Star, and a 2x All-NBA performer. On paper Griffin appears to be headed toward the Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts. Despite all of Griffin’s success and accolades there were many holes in his game.
Blake Griffin the high flyer has made him millions of dollars in endorsement money, and upped his fan base, but Griffin the basketball player has been inconsistent prior to this season. A player of Griffin’s stature hindered himself by not working on the other areas of his game. A consistent mid range jumper comes to mind, but it seemed like Griffin did not have the will the dominate on a consistent basis as well. Someone with the talent level of Griffin and athleticism is a nightly match up nightmare. I think people’s issue with Griffin is that he didn’t have the attitude to impose his will on opponents on a nightly basis. There were times when Griffin would show that alpha dog mentality, but people wanted to see more from BG.
This season the critics are becoming quieter and Griffin’s game is speaking louder. Griffin, who is known for his high-flying play made a living by playing above the rim. Now playing under new head coach Doc Rivers BG has taken his game to a new level. Playing for a players coach like Doc Rivers it always seems that he gets the best out of his Superstars.
Griffin is averaging a career in points with 24.3ppg. Griffin is also giving you 10 rpg, and almost 4.0 apg. Griffin has always been a pretty good passer, and this season he is showing his full arsenal of talents. Whether it is leading the fast break, playing facilitator, or knocking down a jumper there has been so much more this season other than the typical Blake Griffin Youtube highlights. Personally I believe Chris Paul’s shoulder injury was a blessing disguise. During the time when Paul was out of the lineup Griffin was easily a top 5 player in the NBA at that time.
With Griffin displaying that dominate ability on a consistent basis it will only give him that boost of confidence that will last for the remainder of the season.
With Griffin taking his game to a new level it will only make the Clippers go to the next level. The Clippers have taken their lumps in the playoffs against the Spurs and Grizzlies, and for the most part it was because Griffin would not hold his own against inferior bigs Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, or Marc Gasol.
I think Griffin breaks that hurdle this season, and takes the Clippers to the next step. If the Clippers are playing in June it will have a lot do with their superstar player Blake Griffin. Griffin finally realizes what he is capable of being on the court, and that is down right scary.
