Misc. Monday - 02-06-12 - Dunk on this, Blake Griffin.
Yeah, and I just showed it to you again. Like the first 100 times that ESPN showed it wasn't enough for us. This video pretty much dominated the sports news for a couple days, making you think that this is all the NBA has to offer. Pretty sad, don't you think?
The L.A. Clippers power forward Blake Griffin, who is shown in this video disregarding the human life of Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins, I'm afraid, needs to read his NBA history book. While you can slam a ball in the face of a 7-foot center, what else can you do?
Let me go ahead and show Blake the first piece of NBA history. Let's call it Lesson #1.
#1 - Past Dunk Contest Champions
Remember these names? Nate Robinson, Gerald Green, Fred Jones, Jason Richardson, Desmond Mason, Brent Barry, Harold Minor, Isaiah Rider, Cedric Ceballos and Dee Brown. Sure, these players could pump their Reeboks and jump nearly out of the gym, but not one of them has had a Hall of Fame caliber career. And in no way does being crowned the best dunker in the league make you a candidate for a storied successful NBA career.
In other words Blake, if you want my attention, start working on your middle range jumpshot and earning the respect around the league from players who are working toward the shiny diamond rings… not free cars for winning meaningless competitions.
Lesson #2 - Winning for your franchise
Along with refining his game, Blake Griffin needs to put the dunk contest in the backseat and worry about getting his Clippers to their first playoff series win since 2006 and undo the losing culture of the franchise that has been branded into the history books of the league. That season, the starting lineup of Elton Brand, Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell, Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston took out the Denver Nuggets in five games, only to lose in the next round to the Phoenix Suns. Can the Clippers do it with the core group of players they have now though? I think so.
The Clippers do actually have one superstar, not named Blake Griffin. It's Chris Paul. Then add Caron Butler, one of the most underrated players in the league over the last several seasons, and Chauncey Billups, you have quite a core group. But for the Clippers to get through a playoff series, they are going to need Griffin to do a lot more than just rock alley-oop flushes.
Lesson #3 – At least beat the best
OK, I do love the NBA dunk contest, but it has become pretty lame due to the fact that there are no superstars involved. I know most of you remember Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan and Larry Nance being a part of the contest. This really isn't Blake's fault, but more the NBA's fault of not getting their superstars in the contest.
It is so frustrating to hear the lineup for the dunk contest and ask, "Who the heck are these guys?" Maybe the NBA needs to go back and look through their own history books and see how much better the contest was when the participants were not league minimum players.
One can only hope that the NBA does so, so it's not Blake Griffin versus a bunch of nobodies.
I will give Blake Griffin a little credit though, since he is averaging 21.3 ppg and 11.1 rpg. So far, he is having a very impressive season, but to become one of the NBA's elite players and earn all the attention from the media (yes, including myself) his overall game must improve.
He needs to take better care of the basketball (averaging three turnovers a game) and become a better outside shooter. And I'm not talking about draining three-point shots, just a consistent elbow jumper that is better than Anderson Varejao's is all I'm asking for.
And can someone explain to me that with Griffin's absurd natural jumping ability, why he doesn't even block one shot a game? For this fact, one has to believe his defense could be a little better.
Amazing talent, incredible hops and electrifying dunker needs to be substituted for good overall floor game, winning team and electrifying dunker.
Misc. Monday Web Video of the Week:
Published: February 6, 2012
