Blake Griffin is a Top 5 Athlete in the NBA Right Now
Seriously, how many guys in the League can do what Blake Griffin did on that lefty put-back? Hamed Haddadi nearly pooped his pants when he saw BG soaring over the top and banging that back with his off hand. I’m not sure that anyone outside of Dwight, Josh Smith and LeBron could do that.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:38 am
JHUSTLE says:
FIRST!!!!
that dunk was sick but i dont know about top 5 athlete right now. slow down with that sh!t dime he is a freak athlete with insane hops but i wouldn’t go as far as saying top 5.
Lebron
Josh Smith
Iguodola
Jr Smith
Kobe
July 17th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Sweet English says:
Pooped his pants..?
Gangster.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Dime Magazine says:
JHUSTLE,
I’d put Nate in that group before JR.
Blake can jump out of the gym too – remember the dude hit his head on the backboard against ‘Cuse. But the reason that I saw he’s top 5 is not just for the hops, but also the freakish strength. Who else in that group puts up 185 lbs. on the bench 22 times? Dwight and LeBron maybe.
- ak
July 17th, 2009 at 10:46 am
JHUSTLE says:
my bad i cant 4get dwight howard. i give griffin extra points for the stare down he gave ol boy after they bumped chests lol blake is gonna snatch that ROY. and heres that list again of top 5 athletes i had it wrong
Lebron
Josh Smith (aka the game aka jayceon taylor)
Andre Iguodola
Dwight Howard
Jr Smith
And i wanna say James Flight White but he doesn’t get any minutes in the league just yet but if you’ve seen his dunks at cincinatti then u already know
July 17th, 2009 at 10:48 am
karizmatic says:
Nah there are a bunch a guys who probably aren’t even as good as Griffin who could do that.
LBJ, Smith, Iguodola, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay are all better than Blake and can make that play..Melo could probably do it.
Tyrus Thomas can make that play
Stromile Swift
Bill Walker could probably do it and he’s barely in the league.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Sweet English says:
Flight White might have hops but he looks like a fuckin newborn girrafe shot out a cannon when hes in the air.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:51 am
AdvancedMind says:
Athlete is an athlete, this is not something you work on in the summber blake was blessed at birth with athletic ability. I agree for once with Dime, @ 1 your list fails on so many levels.. dwight howard perhaps? Kobe? lol maybe in 97 but this is 09.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Chicagorilla says:
Blake Griffin A.k.A Maximus
(Please don’t give him the stupid nickname that is his initials, be more creative than that)
It wasn’t just the tip dunk that was sick last night. If you watched the NBAtv entire segment, you saw him catch a sick Alley-oop from M.Taylor and also catch a couple baseline crams that were reminiscent of Sir Charles/Mailman.
Top Athlete’s would have to be players than can not only jump, but have strength, agility/coordination, speed and quickness.
So top 5 NBA as of today
#1 Lebron
#2 Nate Robinson
#3 Dwight Howard
#4 Blake Griffin (after watching him this summer and especially last night)
#5 Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook
Josh Smith, DWade, Andre Igudola, Melo, Cp3, Javel McGee, JR Smith, Tyrus Thomas and a few others just miss the list.
Anyone who puts Kobe, Vince, T-Mac, Shaq, or Deron Williams is on crack and obviously doesn’t understand what a true athlete is. It’s not just jumping or strength or speed, it’s a high combination of all of them.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:40 am
jzsmoove says:
aint nobody privileged enough to be considered top 5 before they play 1 minute in an NBA game. nobody.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:47 am
wow says:
thank u jzsmoove. niggas is prisoners of the moment too much
July 17th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Chicagorilla says:
Jzsmoove,
He’s the #1 pick. So it’s not like we are talking about a D-Leaguer who doesn’t have a real shot at the NBA. It’s the #1 pick! And I know what you are saying, you don’t think he should be hyped like that. But it’s not like people are saying he’s that best player in the NBA before he even steps on the court (like they did with Lebron), or that he’s the best at his position regardless of level (Like Dick Vital labeled Jay Williams while still at Duke). We are simply gauging his athleticism against his peers in the L. It’s like saying Steph Curry is a top 5 shooter right now. Or Rick Rubio is a top 5 passer. Doesn’t mean they will be the shit, just means that they have a special quality.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Chicagorilla says:
Also for those that will bring up Josh Smith as a top 5 Athlete. Maybe a couple years ago, but as of his last game, Josh seems like he lost some of the vertical, and though he looks bigger, it’s not muscle. He looks like he’s 240lbs, but not very cut up. He looks big bonned and it slows him down so he doesn’t have the speed and quicknees he had a few years ago when he was 225lbs.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Chris From LB CALI says:
D@MMNIT! man… now we’re putting top 5 Athletes?!? Sh/t!! okay.. LOOK!
I cant wait to see what BG (Blake Griffin) will do this year!
BD will Create and Find him. I just hope he doesnt take too many 3’s since it looks like he likes to shoot them.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Drink the Haterade says:
@ Chicagorilla “Top Athlete’s would have to be players than can not only jump, but have strength, agility/coordination, speed and quickness”.
And that doesn’t define KB24? WTF?
July 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Arno says:
Hope for him he’s not the next Josh Smith…
July 17th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
JHUSTLE says:
@chicagorilla
u out ya cotton pickin mind if u think kobe isn’t a top athlete. combination of jumping, strength and speed is exactly why kobe can do what he wants out there. Add the consistent jumpshot and thats y he’s one of the g.o.a.t’s
July 17th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Dubs says:
Okay, he’s the number 1 pick, so obviously he should be expected to rip up the summer league. I would be surprised if he wasn’t making these type of plays! Nonetheless, it was a freakishly athletic play that someone of his body type i wouldn’t have expected to make. HOWEVER, that doesn’t make him a top 5 athlete. JUST OF THE SUMMER LEAGUE, I can name 5 players I would think can make that play: Griffin (now that I’ve seen it with my eyes), Anthony Randolph, DeMar Derozan, Tyreke Evans (under the right circumstances), and Earl Clark. Anyway, lets calm down on the Griffin love, because we all know he can’t blossom into anything until he leaves the Clippers in a few years
July 17th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
kulas says:
@ Chicagorilla
Kobe? VC? Not a “high” combination of jumping strength and speed?
July 17th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Sacto_J says:
After seeing the highlights, all I can say is DAMN! I mean, DAMN!! Griffen’s going to be a very good player for quite a few years.
As far as a top 5 athlete list, here goes –
1. LBJ
2. D. Howard (so under-rated, but dude dunks 12+ foot rims.)
3. J- Smooth
4. Nate Robinson
5. Kobe
Notes – Freakish as KryptoNate is, he might not make this list after this year, sliding kobe to 4 and potentially Griffen to 5. Kobe isn’t necessarily that powerful to me, he’s more finesse, but the fact that he still “got bunnies”, quickness, speed, and mental determination and the fact that he has chips earns him a top spot, absolutely (I don’t even like him, but I gotta respect him.)
July 17th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
control says:
Not sure Amare isn’t getting any love at all…that’s all the guy has is athletic ability. I’d throw a slightly younger Ben Wallace on the list if you discount cordnation…the guy is a BEAST athletically.
1. LeBron
2. Dwight
3. Amare
4. VC (he is STRONG, quick, has hops, cordnation, etc)
5. I’d say Healthy Tmac here…but he ain’t ever healthy, so probably have to give it to Kobe.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
billbone says:
If he wasn’t on the clippers i would think he was going to be awesome, but because he is he’ll probably tear his acl the first game of the season or somethibg.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
cesar says:
he looks like Caruso from ‘everybody hates chris’
July 17th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Chicagorilla says:
For those that are bringing up guys Kobe and VC and Tmac (Ben Wallace?) here is my opinion.
I’m not dogging those guys ability by any means. I’m a huge Carolina fan so Vince would have been up there if this was the year 1996-2004. After those years, gravity (and knee injuries) held Vince back a little. Vince no longer has the speed or the insane hops to be top 5 on this list. Kobe and TMac aren’t on the list for different reasons.
Kobe never has been physically imposing, and has never had to be. Kobe’s is like 31-32 years old now, so he certainly can’t jump like he did 5yrs ago. So as of today 7/17/09 he is not top 5.
Tmac is out of shape (for a basketball player) at 28yrs old and looks like he needs to retire. He also never was strong. If that’s the case then James White, Gerald Green, and Rudy Gay should be atop the list.
To be better than the top 5 guys in the NBA (which have some of the best athletes in any sport) you have to be great at everything and phenomenal in one. Lebron looks like a created player from NBA live/2k. He is the Bo Jackson of the NBA.
Howard moves like no one else at 7ft tall and 260lbs. He actually runs really fast, light on his feet, spins and turns like a guard (which he used to be).
Rose/Westbrook/Nate: All in the same mold of Lebron, just shorter. Speed is insane, strength is unmatched by someone their size, and we all know about the hops. Each of them has sat a dude on his back pockets (Hello Steve Blake and Andre Miller) and banged on big men (Devon Hardin).
An all-time list would be crazy. And may only include Lebron for today.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs before Slamball says:
sorry dime but this one isn’t even close. Hes def not top 5. Now maybe if your saying hes “TOP 5 FOR HIS SIZE” then you’d have a arguement. But his vert is what, mid 30s? Theres guys in low 40s. And are you just counting him against other stars? cuz theres bum guys who are better athlete and just not as skilled. Your tellin me hes a better athlete than james white? Nate Robinson? Jr Smith? etc…So for a stocky guy hes athletic but hes not to be considered a freak like dwight, lebron and nate yet.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs before Slamball says:
And @Dime, I PROMISE YOU, lebron isn’t benching 185lbs 22 times. Not even close.People need to stop makin it like lebron is Michael Clark Duncan. Although joey graham put it up like 28 times settin a record his year which was beat by the sound florida center this year who put it up 38 times..hes on the pistons summer league i think.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Bron42 — You’re talking about rookie combine numbers with Graham and the South Florida guy, though. LeBron is 24 years old now, older than any college player and probably stronger than almost any college player. I’m sure he could get 22 on the bench.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
BERN BROGDEN aka BINO BROWN STR8 UP N DOWN says:
Can we LACE the sneaks up first before we start j-j-j-j jockin’ Blake G jockin’ jockin Blake G!?!?!!!!
Aint even regular season yet…but that tip back was FILTHY. ILLLLLLLL
July 17th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
@AB, Lebrons a big guy, but there are guys stronger than him, college or not. Dudes big but hes not a body builder is my point. Remember the clip where he hit the shot behind the backboard and walked off with his shirt off..Hes cut up but hes really not that big overall. plus Hes known for avoiding the bench press and only using dumbbells. Plus 22 reps at 185 is just as much muscle edurance as it is overall strength, so while hes strong, puttin it up that many times is still tough to do. Muscle endurance and absolute strength are 2 different things.
July 17th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Ekstor says:
Laker fan here… no way is Kobe top 5 athlete… he may be one of the top 3 players in the league (if not best overall)… and most definitely in the discussion of top 5 ever to play, but in terms of being an “athlete”, he’s more skill than athleticism now.
That’s not to say he isn’t a great athlete. He is. But his ticket to success is his skills and fundamentals. At the very least, no one can rightfully say Kobe is a better athlete than DWade… but I’d also consider Westbrook, Tyrus Thomas, Derrick Rose…
Shoot… Kobe probably isn’t even the best athlete on his own team… I’d give that to Shannon Brown.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
. says:
Carmelo, Ron, and Lebron are all strong guys
July 17th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
smoove chips says:
ok does athletic=kinda huge maflucka with hops and some coordination ?
then yes.If that’s where it ends.
you add any other factors then he starts dropping down the list pretty quick coz that’s all I see.plus he hasn’t played a nanosecond in the L…
tmac ?!?!cats on crack for real
July 17th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Marvin says:
You know what Blake Griffin reminds me of Bernard King…
July 18th, 2009 at 1:39 am
kowtz says:
Too much hype…
July 18th, 2009 at 4:18 am
mrparker says:
The dude is athletically overwhelming. He’s too strong for most, and too fast for the ones he’s not too strong for.
Putting KB24 on a top athlete list? Thats funny. He’s a top player for sure but wasn’t Larry Bird. Go too youtube, there are plenty of videos of Kobe’s athletic deficiency
If you ask me(noone did) it goes
pg- Rondo
sg- D. Wade
sf- Lebron James
pf- Blake Griffin(yes right now)
c- Dwight Howard
July 18th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
westbrook and derrick rose are wayyyyyyyy more athletic than rondo…
July 19th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
doc says:
Yeah Kobe is skilled he aint top 5 athlete.He older fellas calm down.If we was living in the past Vince would be first.