Blake Griffin Has Been Forgotten
It’s amazing how fast people can forget about you. Just a month-and-a-half ago, Blake Griffin was a hot topic in the media. Griffin, who was the number one pick in last year’s Draft, is viewed as the power forward of the future for not only the Clippers, but the NBA as well. But the 6-10 forward has been sidelined ever since he injured his left kneecap during training camp. Originally expected to return around this time, the Clippers announced that Blake won’t be back into the lineup until at least January.
“Now that I’m learning more about [his injury],” Mike Dunleavy told reporters last week. “It’s probably looking more like after the first of the year.”
The Examiner reported last week that an inside source told them that Griffin’s return is going to be closer to mid-January rather than the beginning of it. In the next week, Griffin will undergo X-rays to see whether the bone has finally healed. If it has, the training staff will slowly work on strengthening the knee before he is cleared to practice again with the team.
With Griffin out of the headlines, other rookies like Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans have already overshadowed him. Obviously, anybody who’s hurt and is not playing will not be talked about (see Tracy McGrady). Right now, the Clippers have held down a respectable 9-11 record and are just a few games out of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. Both Chris Kaman (18.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg) and Marcus Camby (11 rpg) have been solid in Griffin’s absence. The question is, how will Griffin look when he finally does suit up in a month?
Last year, when Greg Oden returned after missing his entire rookie year due to injury, he struggled on the court. His timing and mobility were a little off and it wasn’t until this year (before he got hurt), where he started to look more comfortable on the floor. By the time Griffin returns, he will have missed almost half the season. Griffin is an athletic and physical player, so his explosiveness will definitely be an issue.
You can pretty much write off the possibility that Griffin’s return will turn the Rookie of the Year award into a three-man race, but his return will be huge for the Clippers. He’ll most likely come off the bench and will provide some spark to the Clippers’ thin second unit. After he catches his stride, Griffin could be L.A.’s x-factor to sneak into the playoffs. But it won’t be until the 2010-11 season, where you will fully see the beast that Griffin is. And that’s when the headlines will come back.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DIMEMag.
Follow Gerald Narciso on Twitter at @Gerald_Narciso.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Peli says:
Absolutely piss poor writing skills displayed here, dude.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
D.H. says:
They just don’t make knee caps like they used to.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
POPPI GEE says:
I know I dropped dude off the fantasy squad. Ashame on the injury part to considering the work this dude puts in to stay and be in shape. His workout is plain nuts!
Anyway I guess time and chance can be a mutha!
December 7th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
zippy says:
I’m stoked you wrote this up. I’ve been wondering what’s going on with Griffin.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
J HUSTLE NORTH DALLAS says:
And he better tear it up when he comes back in january cuz his ROY chances are gettin slimmer by the day. Really wanted to at least see him shine in the Rooks vs Sophs game too
December 7th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Gunner J. Matthews says:
I dont think you can compare Oden and Griffin health-wise. Griffin looks more sturdy
December 7th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Rizwan says:
I’m starting a petition to get Gerald off Dime. I mean, ‘overshadow’, ‘Clipper’, ‘three-man race’. WTF? Dude the saying is three horse race, they are the clipperS, and its overshadowed!!!!!!!
Community college is calling!
December 7th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Ekstor says:
Don’t write off that ROY race just yet… it’s certainly a longshot, but if Jennings and Evans hit the rookie wall and Griffin helps the Clips finish strong, it’ll be hard to ignore.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
sunni says:
curse of the clippers..
December 7th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
ab_40 says:
it’s a crying shame these young talented player getting injured at a young age. I know… I’m one of them hehe
December 7th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Lucas says:
I just hope he comes in and surprises everyone, I’m really hoping for that.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Say goodbye to Rookie of the Year, Griffin. Even if he comes back and performs like he’s expected to, he still has ways to go. Think Jennings has the ROY to lose.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:03 am
CTP says:
Not sure what the two haters are complaining about with the writing here? Reads just fine to me. Good article. I hope BG can come back strong asap.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:45 am
SJ says:
I was just thinking the same thing a few days ago. Nobody has said the name Blake Griffin in a couple months.
Oh, and is a 9-11 losing record really respectable?
December 8th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
rahim says:
shitfaced you have the right name if you think jennings is the ROY. it’s tyreke evans, the nba’s most consistent rookie with the most complete game.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Rambis says:
Gerald- your skills might better suited for other ventures- this article is extremely bland.