Can Blake Griffin Save the Clippers?
OU Sophomore Hopes to Lift Fortunes of NBA's Woebegone LA Clippers
Jun 25, 2009
Griffin, who is the first ever Oklahoma University product to be selected first overall in the NBA draft is, by all accounts, a "can't miss" prospect. At 6-10 and 250 pounds, Griffin is a rare combination of size, quickness, tenacity and uncanny basketball smarts. He recorded 30 double doubles last season, one short of the NCAA record set by David Robinson in '86-'87, while averaging 22 points per game and making nearly 66 percent of his shots. Scouts say he has worked hard to develop a solid mid-range jumper to go along with his ferocious low post game, good passing and rebounding skills, and he's even, apparently, a solid citizen from a good Oklahoma family. But while he brings a game that is NBA-ready, will he be able to overcome the "Curse of the Clippers?"
Clippers a Study in Futility
The Clippers earned the honor of drafting Griffin thanks to yet another in a long line of putrid seasons. The team went 19-63 during the '08-'09 season and has had just two winning seasons over the past 30 years. They've made the playoffs just once since '97. To make matters worse, they share the Staples Center arena with the newly crowned NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who'll be hoisting their 15th championship banner come next fall. But despite their rampant losing, Griffin is only the third number one overall pick in Clippers history.
The Clippers Hall of Shame
The first player selected first overall by the Clippers was forward Danny Manning in the 1988 draft. Manning endured an injury-plagued, but ultimately satisfying 15-year NBA career, averaging 14 points and five rebounds as a role player for seven teams. The second Clipper number one pick, seven-foot center Michael Olowokandi, taken in the '98 draft, was one of the biggest draft busts in recent history. His combination of limited skills and a "I've made millions, why do I need to try?" attitude, made him the poster child for underachieving athletes during an a eight-year career in which averaged a paltry eight points and six rebounds per game.
Comparisons to Karl Malone and Antonio McDyess
Griffin, who's expected to play power forward and center for the Clippers, has a game that has many coaches and scouts comparing him with former NBA great Karl Malone and serviceable big man Antonio McDyess, who played last year with Detroit. The Clippers have a decent nucleus of players, including Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby. If Griffin, can stay healthy, adapt to the rigorous NBA schedule and not get sucked into the vortex of shame that has defined Clippers basketball, he might just lead this franchise out of the wilderness.
