Los Angeles Clippers: Clips’ Season In Blake Griffin’s Hands

By Marcus Bass | Sep 10, 2014

Aug 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin at fan fest at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

If the Los Angeles Clippers are to win their first championship, Blake Griffin must play at an all-time high.

Finishing last season with the third most votes for MVP while being in the top 10 of made field goals, free throws, defensive rebounds, points, player efficiency, usage and win shares, isn’t enough. The Clippers have seen what Griffin’s potential looks like, and it’s more blinding than even Griffin would admit in his beloved Kia commercials.

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In three weeks training camp opens for the Clippers in Las Vegas. From Sept. 30-Oct. 4,

Doc Rivers

and his staff will evaluate player health, acclimate new players to their brand of basketball, and implement new schemes while touching up on the older ones.

The squad will work out twice a day until their final day in Sin City. On Oct. 7, the Clippers will open the preseason against the Golden State Warriors.

They’re a new team from top to bottom and while head coach Doc Rivers and his staff knows what to expect from point guard Chris Paul, center DeAndre Jordan and most of the other Clippers players, the greatness that is now labeled as Blake Griffin’s “potential” is still yet to be seen.

Timelines for a team to win a championship are referred to as windows for a reason. Wait too long and the window will close and shut out any chance for opportunity. The Clippers’ opportunity to claim their first Larry O’Brien Trophy hasn’t started to close, but when it does (and it will) Blake Griffin needs to be playing at premium.

After Paul sat out last season with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 18 games, Griffin put the Clippers on his back and elevated his game to eventually finish the regular season with 24.1 points and 9.5 rebounds.

He claimed the seventh spot on the Clippers all-time scoring list with 6,583 points, becoming the eighth active player to eclipse 6,000 career points before the conclusion of his fourth season.

Griffin’s still got a long way to go before he loses the labels of being overrated and only a dunker. It’s an even further road to travel before Griffin claims the destiny most NBA executives and retired players have been talking about since his rookie season.

The Clippers will need Blake Griffin to be the league’s best power forward before they can win an NBA championship.

To do so, Griffin will have to improve in a few key areas. Shooting further than 15 feet will be a good start. In nine shooting zones spread between the rim and 3-point line, Griffin only hit more than 40 percent in three areas. He’s indecisive when receiving the ball without a defender in his face.

Griffin will need to be more selfish and assume the role as leader in offense for the Clippers to truly become championship contenders.

In addition to a silky smooth jumper, Griffin must develop quicker moves out of the low post. On post entry passes, Griffin has the tendency to hold the ball too long. His indecisive post play allows his defender to match up with him easier on defense, while attracting the double team much easier.

Griffin will have to throw himself to the rim with greater tenacity than he’s ever had, giving the opposition less time to react. He’ll need to lead the Clippers in free throw attempts (again) and cash in on those easy buckets. Last season Griffin averaged a measly 71.5 percent from the charity stripe.

Nothing to brag about, but certainly nothing to berate him for either.

Griffin is a major gym rat, and Clippers fans can rest assured that he’s in the gym working hard. Once he hits the floor in Staples Center on Oct. 4 he’ll be playing his best brand of basketball yet. The Clippers need it.

He’s the catalyst for all of their good fortune in recent years. The one guy who started it all — in perfect symmetry, he’ll have to finish it as well.

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