Blake Griffin: 3 reasons he is a legitimate MVP candidate
By Jason Elbaum
3. He is finally the clear-cut best player on his team
Without a doubt, the MVP is always the best player on his respective team. How could you be the best player in the league if you’re not even the best on the team? With the departure of Chris Paul to Houston, there is no denying that Blake Griffin is the No. 1 option this season for the Clippers.
If the new max contract wasn’t enough motivation for Griffin to perform, he now has increased expectations to pick up the scoring load after the departure of Paul. His willingness to be aggressive offensively has shown in the fact that Griffin is shooting 7.6 free throws per game, the most since the 2013-14 season.
Griffin has been making opponents pay for sending him to the foul line, as he is averaging just below his career high of 76 percent from the free throw line this season. He’ll need to continue this success in particular if he wants to be an MVP candidate, as his free throw opportunities will only increase as teams continue to recognize Griffin as the focal point of the Clippers.