Everyone knows that the Los Angeles Clippers are only traveling as far as their superstar power forward Blake Griffin will take them. After a rocky start to the season and what has since seemed like a salvaged ship, the Clippers are rolling once again.
However, with the ridiculous momentum that the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies are experiencing at the moment, it’s hard to put the Clippers back into the best in the West conversation.
If there’s another gear Griffin can kick his game to, the Clippers will be well worth the debate. It’s the “if’ variable of whether or not Griffin’s capable of elevating his game to another level that raises an eyebrow.
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Griffin ended last season with the third-most votes for MVP. He was also ranked in the top 10 of made field goals, defensive rebounds, shots taken from the charity stripe, points, player efficiency, usage and win shares. Griffin also became the eighth active player to surpass 6,000 career points before the conclusion of his fourth season.
With what was easily identifiable as his best season thus far in his young career, the question of whether or not Griffin has hit his ceiling is as valid now as it’s ever been.
It would be a travesty if so, as head coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers organization are still banking on Griffin developing into the power forward juggernaut they’re hoping for. However the “young” and “inexperienced” titles are no longer applicable to Griffin, and he’s shed the overrated reputation as well.
Incorporating a mid- and long-range jumper in his game in addition to reliable post moves has been all of the hardwood public relations he’s needed.
Griffin has been drinking from the office water cooler. He’s heard the criticisms and has responded appropriately with a current season average of 22.9 points and 7.5 boards. He’s been the clear leader of a Clippers team that started with seven wins and five losses has since won eight straight games.
Doc Rivers commented on the Clippers positive play as of recent to ESPN:
"“We weren’t ready yet [at the beginning of the season], now we’re playing right. What I liked about us — and it’s an area we need to keep growing at — is playing well through frustration. We were frustrated at halftime, and the old team would have come out and played with that frustration, but this team went out and said, ‘Let’s keep playing our way, and it will work out for us.’ In some ways, I never want that to happen, but it was good to see.”"
Griffin hasn’t been solely responsible for the Clippers plight after their slow start. However the ability to shoot further than 15 feet has been a good start in proving his long-term worth. Last season, in nine shooting zones spread between the bucket and 3-point line, Griffin only hit more than 40 percent in three areas.
This season he’s shooting better than 40 percent in catch and shoot attempts everywhere on the floor combined. Griffin is also shooting 40 percent or more when taking up to six dribbles before a shot per NBA.com.
It remains to be seen if Griffin and the new-look Clippers are here to stay, however one thing’s for sure. If Blake Griffin’s capable of getting better — the only direction the Clippers can go is upwards.