On the Brink: Predicting the fates of 16 borderline NBA Hall of Famers
By Cal Durrett
10) Blake Griffin
2009 number one overall pick Blake Griffin was largely seen as a generational prospect when he was selected first by the Los Angeles Clippers. While he didn't end up being a generational player, he was still very good during his Clippers run and for a season in Detroit.
Over his eight years in Los Angeles, Griffin averaged 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds in 504 games—a large enough sample size. He also made the all-star team five times and an all-NBA four times, with another all-star and All-NBA appearance while in Detroit and having the best year of his career.
He averaged a terrific 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and shot an impressive 36.2% from three on 7.0 3-point attempts per game in 2018-19. That turned out to be his last great season, with him lasting only 3.5 seasons in Detroit, a season and a half in Brooklyn, and a season with the Boston Celtics.
By then, his athleticism had been all but drained and the injuries had begun to take their toll. Griffin played just 765 games, far short of many Hall of Famers in the modern era. Even so, six all-stars, five all-NBA teams, and career averages of 19 points and 8 rebounds per game are often enough to get players in.
His career mirrors that of Hall of Famer Chris Webber, who played just 831 games but also made at least five all-stars, and five all-NBA teams. Webber's peak was probably higher but gives Griffin precedent to make it in.