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Clips need further evolution from Blake Griffin to contend

544 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  Basel 
#1 ·
The concept of NBA stardom is more or less universal across the league. And yet, try as we might to compare them, no two stars are exactly alike in either form or function, thus making every roster an ecosystem unto itself. The approach and contributions of a team’s stars ultimately come to shape its identity, whether through spatial alignments or specific synergy. Each of these elements contributes to the unique nature of a team environment, both drawing from and depending on the particular qualities that form the basis of a star’s abilities.

All of which brings us to the Clippers’ Blake Griffin — a consensus star, albeit one whose role and capabilities seem particularly misunderstood. Griffin is not his team’s best player, but he bears the burden of his amazing athletic ability; a big man so quick and so explosive would seem capable of doing anything, and thus Griffin is largely expected to do everything. Even Clippers teammate Chris Paul expects the world of Griffin, despite the fact that the 23-year-old big man is still finding his way through the league. From Ian Thomsen’s feature on the Clippers back in February:

The priority for Paul has been to turn Griffin into his Tim Duncan. Paul can’t challenge Griffin to improve defensively “unless,” said Paul, “I’m doing it myself. I have to work. The thing is, Blake is a hard worker, he works hard on stuff like that. And I forget at times that Blake is young. Like sometimes I look at him like we’ve been in the league the same amount of time.”

He laughed and went on, “But that’s not the case. And I understand that we don’t have a chance without him being great. Not being good. Without him being great. That’s why he is who he is and what he means to our team.”


That’s a heavy expectation, and one that also informs more general evaluations of Griffin’s performance. His play is critiqued at every turn, but it’s high time we pin down the details in light of L.A.’s mounting championship contention: What is it, exactly, that the Clippers need from Griffin in order to be successful?

The most natural place to begin is on offense, where Griffin has been tremendously effective for three straight seasons despite a marginal slip in his scoring averages. Far too many have chosen to read the drift in Griffin’s per-game scoring (22.5 PPG as a rookie, 20.7 PPG as a sophomore, 18.7 PPG this year) as regression, but what we’re actually witnessing is the evolution of a rather gifted all-around player.

Griffin’s first year in the NBA was spent capitalizing on his most obvious advantages: he powered through smaller defenders, drove past slower bigs and leapt over damn near everyone. All effective strategies, no doubt, but predictable and relatively easy for an opposing defense to account for. Griffin has since made obvious efforts to build out his game, and in the process has given the Clippers’ offense a vital dynamism. Vinny Del ***** may have added a page or two to his playbook this year, but his team’s offensive structure remains amazingly simple, and is redeemed largely because of the broad, pliable skill sets of Griffin and Chris Paul. The latter finds ways to elevate even the stalest pick-and-roll sets, diagramming elaborate play options in his head as he scans the floor. The former, contrary to a bafflingly popular belief, is far more than just a dunker; Griffin’s reputation still suggests that he’s some raw athlete, all while the Clippers have succeeded in part due to his ability to thrive in all kinds of situations.
http://nba.si.com/2013/03/11/blake-griffin-los-angeles-clippers-nba-championship/?sct=uk_wr_a3
 
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