Hoops Habit
Fansided

Revisiting LA Clippers high points from the 2010s

By John Jablonka

LA Clippers Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan Chris Paul. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LA Clippers Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan Chris Paul. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LA Clippers Blake Griffin
LA Clippers Blake Griffin (Photo by Evan Gole/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The rookie came to play

In every way, shape or form, this season was all about Blake Griffin. The LA Clippers were not competing for anything apart from just generally improving their guys. The team did end up winning 32 games, which was only a three-game improvement from last year, but who cares when they had Griffin.

In his first official season, he averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game on 50.6 percent from the field and 64.2 percent from the line, but his achievements do not stop there.

Here is a list of everything he accomplished during his rookie season:

  • Named Rookie of the Year
  • First rookie to play in the All-Star Game since Yao Ming in 2003
  • First rookie voted to the game by coaches since Tim Duncan in 1998
  • Won the Slam Dunk Contest
  • Won all six Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, which was the first time since 2006 a player swept these awards
  • The first rookie to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand in 2000
  • The first unanimous Rookie of the Year since David Robinson in 1990

After missing a whole year due to injuries, Griffin did not play around this season. All of that led Sports Illustrated in 2011 to name him one of the 15 greatest rookies of all time. 

Although it was all about Griffin, there is one other player that stood out that season. Eric Gordon, was in his last season as a Clipper and he made it a good one. Even though he only played in 56 games, he still managed to put up 22.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, all which were career highs.

And let’s also not forget, the trade that sent their 2011 first-round pick along with Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who did that pick turn out to be? Yep, Kyrie Irving. If they had that pick and took Irving first overall, who knows if they still pull the trigger for the Chris Paul trade, but that is a topic for a different day.

This lack of team success was all about to change, all because of one man deciding to veto a trade.

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