With the amount of high-profile trades and signings that went down this summer, it’s easy to forget about Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin. Drafted 1st overall last year, Griffin missed the entire 2009/10 season after breaking his kneecap in a preseason game on a nasty dunk show in the video below.
Since that dunk, ignorance of Griffin’s abilities and potential has become excusable. With only a handful of NBA exhibition games to draw from, you’d have to have watched him in college to understand what kind of player he is. At 6’10 and 251lbs, Griffin has that immediately apparent, special blend of freakish athleticism and power innate to only a handful of players; mainly Lebron James, Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. When combined with his work ethic and earnestness, Griffin has the potential to become a 21st century Karl Malone; only taller, with more vicious jumping abilities and infinitely more style.
Since the injury, Griffin has been quiet; working on his knee, bulking up and waiting. Built like a grizzly bear who can run like a deer, Griffin is a 21 year-old kid Darwinized to dominate the NBA. And because he missed all of 2009/10, he’ll be listed as a rookie in 2010/11 making eligible for ROY. With Baron Davis as his underrated point guard; my guess is Griffin takes ROY over John Wall.
So while he might not be garnering respect just yet, in a month Griffin’s going to be all over highlight reels and the Clippers will be a mid tier force in what has become a weak western conference. You heard it here fist.
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