7 NBA players that will remind you of LeBron James
By Amaar Burton
5. Blake Griffin (Detroit Pistons)
One of those former teammates whose bad luck impacted Chris Paul is Blake Griffin, the NBA’s most talented point forward after LeBron James.
When Griffin and Paul played together on the LA Clippers, Griffin suffered a couple of injuries that either ended a promising playoff run, or sidelined him for an entire postseason. After being traded to the Detroit Pistons and leading them to the playoffs in 2019, another injury forced Griffin to miss half of Detroit’s first-round series loss.
Griffin’s durability hasn’t matched LeBron’s, but their stories are similar as No. 1 picks who entered the NBA known for their above-the-rim exploits and eventually developed into proven perimeter playmakers.
As a power forward, Griffin drew comparisons to the likes of Shawn Kemp and Charles Barkley early in his career.
Now in his 10th pro season, Griffin is basically a 6’10” guard who is only listed at forward. He can bring the ball up and initiate the offense or direct traffic from the high post. He is as skilled a passer as any big man in the league. He’s a legit threat from 3-point range.
But Griffin can still go back to his roots and put any 7-footer on a poster with one of his famously vicious dunks.
At one time, Griffin and LeBron were arguably the two most difficult players in the league for referees to deal with. Not because of how they acted — although both of them are known to complain incessantly about officiating — but because of how defenses reacted to them.
Griffin and LeBron are so big, quick and powerful that defenders often have to get extra physical with them to prevent easy buckets. Because Griffin and LeBron can absorb a lot of that contact and still finish the play, it’s tough for refs to decide which fouls to call and which ones to let slide.
In that way, Griffin and LeBron have been reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal.
Had Griffin stayed in L.A. and stayed healthy, his camera-ready personality and elite on-court ability might have put him even closer to LeBron on multiple levels.