Stephen Dunn - Getty Images
It came up twice the last couple of days. First, in one of the Dwight Howard-to-the-Clippers threads and then... somewhere else in a discussion about Chris Paul: Should you have the power of an NBA general manager, given the state of the current Los Angeles Clipper roster, and ignoring stuff like contract size, length, and the salary cap... would you trade your young, all-star but not-quite-a-superstar power forward Blake Griffin? Rest assured you'd get like-value back... something on the order of multiple All Star already-a-superstar Dwight Howard. Would you make that trade?
Of course we had a similar conundrum present itself recently in the Chris Paul trade, where we (and by we I mean the Clippers) gave up the promising, not-yet-an All Star wing, Eric Gordon, in a package that brought back multiple All Star superstar point guard Chris Paul. I don't think I'm only speaking for myself when I say that that trade was a rather painful one. I've written at length about this before, but Eric Gordon is a wonderful player, the first player on the Clipper roster who was able to assuage some of our more painful psychic wounds: the brutal injury to a promising young point guard, the middle-of-the-night abandonment by a certain power forward (who's name many of still refuse to speak aloud).
I was shocked by the Gordon trade. It made me question the vision and values of the front office, it made me question the vaguely inhuman way sports business is done. Eric Gordon was our quiet kid brother, remarkably talented, filled with potential, and before he'd had a chance to prove himself we traded him away. We traded our brother.
Interestingly, I didn't feel that way about the other people who were traded along with Gordon. There was that Alfonso Amino guy... see, I can't even remember his name. And there was Chris Kaman, a lovable, talented doofus who was never going to be what we thought he could be. But Eric Gordon was, is, different, and it was painful to send him away.
But he's gone, and we're coping, and, truthfully, the new guy seems to have some merit. From our admittedly limited point-of-view, Chris Paul seems exactly what we needed. He's a vocal leader on and offer the court, and while he might not be quite as physically talented as he once was, but he's almost psychically heady on the court. His "basketball IQ" is simply off the charts. To me, he might be the equivalent of Magic Johnson or Oscar Robertson, guys who seem to almost invent the game as they moved the ball up the floor.
It's made me feel a lot better. Enough so that I've moved off Gordon. I don't even scan the boxscores to check his stats like I did the first few days after the trade... of course that might be a false measure of my affection, since Gordon is injured and hasn't actually played in two weeks... and maybe my feelings about Gordon and his role with the Clippers are muted by the realization that Gordon's injury history is dismal... and that that history might, let's hope not, continue.
The point is, I, we will get over Eric Gordon. It's already happening.
I don't want anyone to think I'm soft or look at the Clipper roster with too much affection. I am baffled by some Clipper fan's current expectations of certain Clipper players... such as the rookies, unproven second-round picks, who I believe will probably be out of the NBA in a year or two, or even Erik Bledsoe, an unfortunate tweener who exhibits speed and athleticism and almost nothing else. Honestly? I'd let these guys go in a heartbeat.
So, when the question, "Would-you-trade-Blake-Griffin-for-Dwight Howard?" was asked, my emotional reaction felt both predictable and familiar. Emotionally, my answer was a solid, simple, "That's the stupidest question I've ever heard," and the answer is simply, an emphatic, "No".
Then I calmed down and I tried to look at the picture from some distance. Dwight Howard is the best center in the game. He's still young, he's been an All Star at least thirty times, he's all-world, and his qualifications and his resume outshine Blake Griffin's and history by a factor of at least ten to one, maybe more.
I tried. I tried hard to make it all fit in my brain. I tried to be one of those clever basketball guys who are so clear and pragmatic that they know that the value coming in is so clearly superior to the value going out that there is no question what to do. Goodbye Blake Griffin, hello Dwight Howard.
Before you ask the next question, I'm going to give you the answer: Substitute any name you like for Dwight Howard, substitute Dwayne Wade or LeBron James, it doesn't matter to me, because I've already arrived at my conclusion, I have my answer and it is ironclad: I would not trade Blake Griffin for anyone. Not for anyone.
Why? It's partly timing I suppose. Griffin arrived at a critical moment in Clipper history. The team was bad but had some hope, Eric Gordon brought a flashlight, a big one, and we wanted him to lead us out of the muck and mire of terribleness. Then Blake Griffin showed up and it took a season longer than we hoped, but he didn't just have a flashlight, he had a big searchlight. And he heaved it up on his shoulders and he picked out a direction and he said, "I think it's over here, let's go this way."
And he shone the light and we followed. But still we worried. What would happen when Blake discovered the truth? How would he be affected by the fact that the Clippers (us) suck, and have sucked forever? To avoid dissapointment we confronted Mr. Griffin and we said, "Are you aware that we're lepers, that we're accursed, that people laugh at us, mock us, and abandon us at the first opportunity? Do you know, Blake Griffin, who we are?"
And Blake Griffin didn't say anything messianic or biblical, he just said, "I really don't care about any of that. Dudes, let's just get out of this swamp."
I love him for his incredibly confidence, for his undying motor, for his extraordinary drive. It's weird I know. I am old (I am what my musician friends call, a "geezer"), it is strange for me to find myself admiring, almost worshipping, a 23 year-old kid from Oklahoma. But that's how I feel.
So, go ahead, ask me again. Ask the question: "Would you trade Blake Griffin for-"
"--No. Not for anyone. Let me be one hundred percent clear on this. Not for anyone."
0 recs | 109 comments
not a lot of players
are worth what blake griffin is RIGHT NOW.. and no one is worth what he will be in the next 5 years
CLIPPERDEAN - January 19, 2012
Para nadie en la ene be a!
For no one in the NBA. Griffin has something that 99.9 of the players in
the NBA don’t and thats the eye of tiger. He gives you 110 percent effort.
Thats something that comes from the heart.
ENCUEROMAN - January 19, 2012
Michael Jordan in 1989
But probably no one currently in the NBA with the current pieces on the Clippers.
RedHotHollywood - January 19, 2012
Oh just think about Blakes rookie season numbers!
Then come back and talk to me. Not since what other rookies has someone
had familiar numbers so for Griffin the Magic can keep him. I will go out on a
limb and say Griffin will have a more productive career than DH12.
ENCUEROMAN - January 19, 2012
there is more to the game than just offense...
uclatroy - January 19, 2012
Haha Alfonso Amino?
Really??!!
ILL Eagle - January 19, 2012
Ugh at that picture. I was at that game and it was arguably Blake’s WORST game of his career. I must be bad luck.
ILL Eagle - January 19, 2012
That was the Blakes best dunk imo
ClipperBEAST - January 19, 2012
A shame it didn’t count though. It got the crowd on its feet and then the momentum was lost when Ref Steve Javie called it an offensive foul.
ILL Eagle - January 19, 2012
But it did result it what may have been the longest continual boo ever
I remember that the crowd booed for a good 5 minutes.
bestclipfan - January 19, 2012
I'm changing it.
John Raffo - January 19, 2012
No Eagle you are not bad luck.
He had the most minutes in thoses back to back to back from all the starters.
After today he will rest and come out and be the Beast on friday.
ENCUEROMAN - January 19, 2012
Lifetime supply of JUMBACO?!
Oh WTF - January 19, 2012
Save the Jumbacos for the Game Threads
ClipperBEAST - January 19, 2012
Can't wait till tomorrow then
chargerclipperfan - January 19, 2012
my bad
Oh WTF - January 19, 2012
can't say some players aren't tempting
it would be a short list though of just Lebron, Durant, Rose, and Dwight. Basically those are the ONLY guys I’d even consider, which is pretty high praise alone. But considering the roster makeup, and all the other “real world” factors, I’d probably have to agree that Blake is untouchable. Those 4 might go on my list higher in the all popular hypothetical question “if you were starting a new franchise today”, but that doesn’t mean I’d trade Blake for them today.
osamu - January 19, 2012
+1
Nice work by Swami. There are some guys that are worth having a conversation about (exactly right, Osamu), but Swami makes his point, and the emotion and context with the EJ experience is welcome.
Here’s one way to look at it: Griffin is a cornerstone piece. Others might be able to come up with other guys who are like that, but for me a few names that pop up are the classics: old school guys like Russell and Wilt and Elgin and Oscar, followed by my guy Kareem, and what the Big Redhead might have been. Kareem was the cornerstone, and then you add Magic and it comes together and creates a dynasty, in a phenomenal era of growth for the NBA. Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were cornerstones, supplemented by Parish and McHale, and Pippen. Paul Pierce, as it turns out, was something of a cornerstone, waiting for years for KG to arrive along with Ray Allen. (Don’t want to bore myself with the Shaq-Kobe cornerstone transition question.)
Griffin feels, acts, and carries himself like a cornerstone. You add Chris Paul, and the good fortune of a lovable sidekick like DJ, and work from there. We’re just at the beginning.
There’s a great question as to whether Griffin and Gordon would be enough to build on. As I read Swami’s missive I was waiting for the expression of my own feelings over the last few weeks: “but it doesn’t matter, because EJ got tapped by the injury stick again, which had already happened too many times.” We’ll see how it plays out over at NO, but we didn’t need Gordon’s bruised/bum knee to know that Chris Paul makes us happy. Kareem was a cornerstone in Milwaukee, and they added an aging Oscar Robertson and won a title. The situation isn’t quite like that, but the similarity is worth mentioning.
Griffin in new. We don’t really know where he’s going or what he’s going to become. The same thing can be said about Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. These are all amazing players, and we’ll see how it all shakes out. But Griffin is as exciting and compelling as anybody in the game.
Old school Clipper fans waited a long time for this.
citizen zhiv - January 19, 2012
I Would not trade Blake for anyone!
Like CP3, Blake makes other players better by his hard work and never let up attitude. That is untradeable! He is getting better, and will be one of the best!
mrbiff - January 19, 2012
he is the face of our franchise. you just dont trade that.
Dawool Huh - January 19, 2012
Nope... Griffin is untradeable...
in a good way, not in a HOLY SHIT THAT CONTRACT IS AN ALBATROSS way (see: Davis, Baron).
We just have to hope that Dwight doesn’t get traded at the deadline, then Olshey puts on the charm and convinces Dwight that the Clippers are the team for him. Then, the Magic have to take what they can get in a sign-and-trade (as in, no Griffin).
82-0 - January 19, 2012
There are plenty of things we don't know
For example, in 2007, nobody really knew what a total dbag and total eunuch under pressure LeBron is, although I assure you some people on the Cavs did.
We don’t know anything about Blake, really. We seen what he and the NBA shows us, same with Howard and Rose. The hints we see are almost all positive on all 3, but for example, Dwight is quitting on his teammates in Orlando, and they are a good team with a chance to win. That’s not an appealing character trait.
It’s like reading tea leaves. Given how good I think Chris Paul will make BG and how well they will play together, I would not trade him now. If we didn’t have Paul, I would trade him for Rose, and possibly Durant.
BoSoxFan45 - January 19, 2012
A sox fan used a word like eunuch?
2012 must be the end if I’m finding Sox fans that are educated.
RedHotHollywood - January 19, 2012
I wouldn't say
D12 is quitting on his team. He’s averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds a game, both above his career averages.
jtballard2 - January 20, 2012
I wonder how awkward All-Star weekend will be
I think Orlando is waiting until after the week to trade him (if they do at all). I predict a cloudy weekend in Orlando.
ClipperChuck - January 20, 2012
How is he quitting?
And that isn’t a good team. That would be like saying the Cavaliers teams that surrounded Lebron were good teams.
They’re doing well because of Dwight and although there are other factors such as the increased playing time of Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick’s development as an all-around player, and SVG’s continued excellence as a coach he is the only reason they aren’t a lottery team.
muckduck - January 26, 2012
Also, the Eric Gordon nostalgia has got to end.
Let’s be real now… he was injury prone, had an annoying knack for dribbling the ball off his foot or committing a dumb turnover at the worst possible moment, and it’s come out that he was quietly jealous of Blake’s stardom (after all that tension between him and Baron, too). He’s hardly played in New Orleans. I hope we can all admit now that trading EJ was the right move.
82-0 - January 19, 2012
Can we start the Gary Grant nostalgia instead?
ganima - January 19, 2012
There are guys here that still having Darius Miles and Benoit Benjamin nostalgia..get over it. Those guys were loser.
It’s a new era.
tenkaistar - January 20, 2012
I am also glad
That the Clippers don’t have to figure out how much to pay Eric Gordon this week when he’s shown possiblesigns of being made of glass.
That trade was a no brainer.
BoSoxFan45 - January 19, 2012
No one
he is the reason we got to land players like billups, butler, and CP3
chargerclipperfan - January 19, 2012
Not the reason we were able to land Billups at all..
JackduhSun - January 20, 2012
…Billups could have retired.
So perhaps it’s more appropriate to say that Paul is the reason we were able to keep Billups.
Takebb909 - January 20, 2012 via mobile
Yeah Billups could've pulled a Jason Williams on us
Retire just to get out of playing for the Clippers.
Chris McD - January 20, 2012
I don't think that would happen now
Jax - January 20, 2012
Or a Danny Ferry for that matter.
agolden - January 20, 2012
Didn't Jason Williams sign with the Clippers?
and then decided to retire?
ClipperChuck - January 20, 2012
Yes, 2 or 3 years ago
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
Yea that's what I remembered
his situation is a bit different than Ferry for instance.
Ferry went to Italy to play rather than play for the Clippers (after telling the Clips not to draft him). Jason Williams actually signed with the Clips. Maybe Williams woke up and realized what he had done and decided to retire but it is a different situation.
ClipperChuck - January 21, 2012
Wrong
As Chauncey was finally accepting the idea of playng for the Clips, it`s well known that he became upset again after the trade because he was not certain whether he`ll start. Initially,there were even reports that he hated playing SG.
cliptakular - January 20, 2012
Chauncey is very hard to read
He has stayed very professional since arriving but you never know if he still harbors any ill feeling about the trade or is happy the way things are turning out so far.
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
wrong?
so you are saying without Chris Paul, Billups puts on a Clipper uniform?
Takebb909 - January 21, 2012
id trade Blake for Lebron, Dwight, DWade, Durant
dont get me wrong, i’m a big Blake Griffin fan, but he has holes in his game. for being slightly undersized at the PF position, he makes up with in devotion to the game.
slightly undersized meaning 6’8.5" w/o shoes and a standing reach of 8’9". His athleticism is off the charts but if he can’t fix the holes in his game now, he won’t be the stud he is now.
http://www.clipsnation.com/2009/6/3/897679/blake-griffin-at-the-combine
big0lbad - January 19, 2012
If he weren't the love of my life, I'd trade him for Howard
Pound for pound, I’d do the trade. But then I’d have to stop watching, because it wouldn’t really be the Clippers anymore.
If EJ was little brother, then BG is Big Mama. How do you trade away your own mother? Even in the NBA, some things are sacred.
SilverClip - January 19, 2012
Is this a photo of Blake or a Chia pet?
PV Mike - January 19, 2012
You want me to change it again?
The problem is we’ve seen every picture of Blake in the SBNation file. If Erik O would conjur up one of BG with a halo, I’d stick that up there.
John Raffo - January 19, 2012
He'd probably put Blake's head on Maggette's body
peterghost - January 19, 2012
You don't trade the guy who singlehandedly changed the image of your franchise
peterghost - January 19, 2012
great point!
debate is over,,,,, next topic?
big0lbad - January 19, 2012
As an NFL Indy Colts Fan, we are agonizing over this very question with Peyton Manning.
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
I think this situation is different
Blake is still young and the Clips only had him ffor about 2 years. I think the Colts situation is more comparable to the Celtics big three conundrum, Pierce mostly.
cliptakular - January 20, 2012
It really should be a no brainer to trade him for Dwight...
but I’ll admit, emotionally speaking, it’d be tough.
uclatroy - January 19, 2012
It would be no a brainer except for a few factors the pro trade folk keep ignoring
1.There is no guarantee Dwight will stay, it is almost a given that Blake will sign his extension when he is allowed to which would give us 4 more years of Blake. However the same can’t be said of Howard who if he wanted to come here was likely making that statement about a team with Blake and CP3
2.Griffin even after the extension will be cheaper than Dwight (although not as much so as Griffin will likely qualify for the new Rose Rule meaning his contract will larger than it would have been in the old CBA) leaving more money to build a team around Blake and CP3
3.There are other real word reasons that trades like this don’t happen, namely that from a P.R. standpoint it would disastrous as Blake is the main reason we are even in a position to be thinking about runs at a championship and you can’t just trade the face of your franchise when he hasn’t made any noise about wanting to leave.
Look guys it isn’t going to happen so we shouldn’t even bother talking about it. As much fun as it is to be arm chair GM’s there are factors beyond salary matching that goes into these trades which make this discussion a non starter.
bestclipfan - January 19, 2012
obviously the trade would be dependant on an extension...
and whatever, P.R. disaster, that is fine. It is just absurd that people are acting like Blake is the better player. There is only one player better than Dwight in the NBA, and it isn’t Blake. Swapping the two would take the Clips from one of many championship contenders to championship favorites.
uclatroy - January 19, 2012
you're right
and I still don’t want to trade Griffin. If winning was all I cared about I would support the Lakers or the Heat. DH is an absolute beast but he doesn’t seem like a winner, a player wanting it so bad that it hurts him.
Anyway the extension business is exactly the same as with Paul. He would loose a fair chunk of money extending. Best case would be like Paul, him not picking his player option. If Paul was betting the farm, get in Dwight would be like betting the franchise, being one major injury away from complete futility.
BelgianClipper - January 20, 2012
I think this is the critical point, "If winning was all I cared about..."
If winning was all you cared about as a fan, you’d flit from winner to winner to winner…. We are, all here, Clipper fans. That’s just not our style.
John Raffo - January 20, 2012
Exactly
Chris McD - January 20, 2012
It`s almost sounds like we`e talking about some scrub to trade for Howard
He`s still Blake Griffin. The guy who took the league by storm and the guy who took the rookie of the year honors with numbers haven`t been seen since Kareem. Is it realy so farfetched to think that we can win with him especially with Chris Paul?
cliptakular - January 20, 2012
I disagree that it should be a no-brainer
I think when all is said and done, Blake Griffin will have had a better career than Dwight Howard.
mikey p - January 20, 2012
I'm not sure but I'm willing to take that chance
Jax - January 20, 2012
+1
Griffin has redefined the Clippers.
BelgianClipper - January 19, 2012
Griffin will stay with the Clippers the rest of his career
chargerclipperfan - January 19, 2012
YES
There are players who can lead his team to the playoffs yet Griffin did not do that last season. Get the feeling he will not be the guy who will be a closer. Gordie was the closer last season.
While a highlight reel do not get the feeling he can carry a team on his back. Would definitely do a Durant, Howard, James, CP3, Rose type deals
wilriv21 - January 19, 2012
Griffin not carrying the team to the playoffs
I would attribute it to coaching and the other pieces. And not everyone can single handedly take a team to the playoffs in their rookie year.
Chris McD - January 20, 2012
I would consider trading BG for Lebron, Drose, and Howard.
Anyone else is a HELL NO! If you ask me, Kevin Durant is extremely overrated..
ClipperBEAST - January 19, 2012
I would rather have Durant than Rose.
But either way, there’s no point in trading Griffin. He’s the face of the franchise.
Chris McD - January 20, 2012
agreed
Blake’s not goin anywhere…
ClipperBEAST - January 20, 2012
How greedy we've gotten already.
It’s funny we’re even talking about this. On paper, there are guys I’d trade Blake for. LeBron obviously, Howard and Durant are on the edge. But, Blake is the Clippers now. It just feels so wrong to consider shipping him off. I trust him. He works so hard, I have to believe his game will keep improving and he’ll justify his superstar status. And, I think CP is the perfect complement for him. I like this team so much now. They’re our Beatles and you don’t break up the Beatles.
Jonee - January 19, 2012
If you love him so much why dont you marry him
My five your old neighbor loves that joke and it seemed fitting
NoBandwagoners - January 19, 2012 via mobile
Jerry West was asked this question last year
And he said that he would not trade Blake Griffin for ANYONE. So there, if that’s what Mr. NBA Logo said, then it must be so.
Rob Lo - January 19, 2012
But...
I would consider trading Chris Paul for Derrick Rose straight up.
Hope CP3 doesn’t read Clips Nation, or else I’m going to have to wear a football helmet going to Clipper games,…
Rob Lo - January 19, 2012
Face of the Franchise
I hated losing EJ as well. But CP3 is a treat to watch. My favorite player to watch since Magic. There is something about the guys you draft that is special. I wouldn’t feel the same about the team with Dwight as I do with Blake.
thewhiteshadow - January 19, 2012
I can't believe some people on this site
The Clippers was garbage before BG. No one even talked about the Clips except to make fun of them. Blake changed the perception about the Clippers. I remember when the site barely got 15-20 comments on an article. Now we’re getting 40 comments on a stupid thread like the “Deandre-Solomon” nickname thread.
No BG means No CP, Chauncey would’ve already burned down Playa Vista and Caron would be a Brooklyn Net.
cliptakular - January 19, 2012
hahaha
c’mon the “Jones” brothers was so perfect.
osamu - January 20, 2012
not as perfect as that kobe-mj troll post
cliptakular - January 20, 2012
More importantly
Blake Griffin actually made it cool to be a Clipper fan.
cliptakular - January 19, 2012
I wouldn't.
The Clippers made Blake. Blake made the Clippers.
Dwight would feel like an estranged guest.
Akram47 - January 19, 2012
Concede
The point on franchise changer trading. But I do think Rose and Durant are potentially better or equal franchise players. Those are likely 3 23 yo future HOF players, all with seemingly great heads on their shoulders. To be an NBA fan right now for either of those 3 franchises is pretty rich. Those are 3 once a generation guys.
So is Chris Paul. :) And Blake and Paul will eventually complement eachother as well as any 2 players in the league.
BoSoxFan45 - January 19, 2012
Barkley quote on Blake. . .
“He’s a little overrated” Total IDIOCY. I have lost respect for you this year, Charles.
Chuck has been strangely anti Clipper this season, which surprises me because he was a big Blake cheerleader last season. He has been silent on the Clips as a west factor and when he has spoken, it has been with rolling eyes, and degrading quotes like ‘well, they’re still the second best team at staples’. WRONG.
Let’s be real- Blake is the PF version of LeBron. His handle is remarkable for a bigman, and with his shots not falling last night he still found a way to make a huge impact, grabbing 17 rebs and dishing 7 assts.
Thankfully unlike LeBron’s original team, the Clippers have made bold moves to bring in another proven star as well as seasoned vets, because if this team is healthy, we can beat ANYONE. Add a bench player or two and this team is a title contender right now. Sorry Chuck, you are just wrong, and all the espn panel idiots are just Clipper haters because when the playoffs roll around the Utah’s and Portland’s may be deep, but they don’t have closers like CP and Billups, and certainly not a superstar in the making in Blake Griffin.
cassellmania - January 19, 2012
Surprised w/ Barkley too
He was one of the biggest Blake homers last year. I still remember when he said the only thing that is similar between him and Blake is that they are both black. And he meant that to compliment Blake’s skill level as a rookie.
cliptakular - January 19, 2012
I think the only reason he is doing it is
because he is a huge Kevin Love fan and doesn’t think that he gets enough attention. So Barkley is being critical of Blake in order to give a compliment to Love. However some of things he said were just ludicrous such as saying that Blake doesn’t draw consistent double team.
bestclipfan - January 19, 2012
He is overrated...
still a pretty damn good player, but struggles defensively and isn’t all that good in the half court offense. This is only the beginning of his second year, so hopefully he’ll improve.
uclatroy - January 20, 2012
I disagree, he's just young
He’s only 23. He’s only going to get better- and IMO, better than Dwight. Blake can do it all except block shots with regularity (though he had a monster block on the mavs) due to his short arms.
cassellmania - January 20, 2012
I don't know anymore if he's overrated
seems like the majority of people think he’s overrated, and therefore that makes him underrated? haha. Maybe the “Griffin is just a dunker” people are more vocal, so I think a lot of people don’t give blake the credit he deserves. He definitely gets press and highlights probably more than any other superstar in the league, so from that standpoint, I guess he’s overrated, but I don’t know, it still feels like the general public think he’s just a dunker.
osamu - January 20, 2012
Blake is much more then a dunker
I mean that one play where he dives head on into the stands, passes the ball to Billups I think and we score an easy bucket on the break… how massive was that!
BelgianClipper - January 20, 2012
This
Griffin does so many things on the court but gets tons of dunk highlights. The whole ‘lob city’ thing has taken it to a new level to the point where the public sees Clips as a circus act. Add to this the fact that they play for the historically downtrodden Clippers and they become an easy target for ridicule. Its a total insult to the talents of Blake and CP in my opinion, and these analysts like Charles that think they are a ‘hype’ team need to get their heads out of their asses. With Chauncey and Caron next to CP, Blake,DJ, Mo and Reggie, Clips are a bench player away from being a finals team.
cassellmania - January 20, 2012
He did back down from the quotes when challenged by Kenny Smith.
Said he used a poor words and that Blake really needs to improve his offensive (yes offensive) game. Shaq also did not agree with Chas. I think Chas is brain deprived from dieting right now.
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
Didn't Barkley
say last year that Blake shouldn’t win ROTY because he wasn’t really a rookie?
jtballard2 - January 20, 2012
yes
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
Granted
As of now, Dwight is overall the better player and we don’t really know for certain if Blake will reach his true potential. However, Blake’s impact with the Clippers on the court is as much as his impact off the court.
cliptakular - January 19, 2012
allow me to elaborate
bg gets to promote himself as well as the clippers through his commercials from kia, subway, nike etc.
cliptakular - January 20, 2012
SA held on to Duncan
And u saw where he took them
arman martikian - January 19, 2012 via mobile
well if they traded ducan for shaq
hmmm….. San Antonio wouldn’t have met up with the Lakers all those years, you’d have to think they might have more rings than they do now….
osamu - January 20, 2012
for howard
ClipperChuck - January 20, 2012 via mobile
oops
But yea for Howard or LBJ I I think you’d have too.
ClipperChuck - January 20, 2012 via mobile
For a winning standpoint Griffin for Howard MAY make sense, but we don't know.
What we do know is Blake is a beast right now and it’s only his 2nd year of playing NBA ball. I love the Clippers more than anything. I want to see Blake’s jersey retired as a Clipper and hanging from the rafters. We have never had a player from start to finish the way some teams have (Jazz with Stockton, Lakers with Magic, Celtics with Bird). Blake gives us the legitimacy we have never had before, and sure, it was because the Clippers finally, for once in our existence had the good luck of the ball bouncing our way and getting that first pick. We won, and with Blake we will continue to be winners. CP3 is here now to make sure of that. Miami has their big 3 but it’s DWade’s team since he was there from the beginning. Maybe we could get Dwight to join, but not at the risk of Blake because it’s his team, he’s been here since the beginning and should be here til the end.
chrisd - January 20, 2012
+1
jon y - January 20, 2012
essentially describes my sentiment as well
shap - January 20, 2012
Howard is better than Blake now and, very likely, always will be...
… Blake is great but only if he reaches his full potential will he be as impactful as Howard.
Blake will get better and I see him topping out at a C. Webb level of impact but that will not equal a guy like Howard.
So do you trade him?
If this was a straight basketball situation with no other factors? Of course you do.
But I don’t think you can trade him… even in the NBA a team can’t be so mercenary to trade their young face of a franchise… the negative perception/PR would be too enormous.
The Clippers will stay pat… but that will not make them a better basketball team.
DariusN - January 20, 2012
I think it will in the long run
Jax - January 20, 2012
I really want to be analytical about this...
but I can’t. WIth EJ it was a lot easier for me. I liked him a lot—heck, I once picked the biggest fight CN has ever seen to defend him—but I guess I didn’t feel the same way about him that others around here did. I knew he was far better than a below-average shooting guard, but I never thought (and still don’t think) he’s anywhere near good enough to be the second-banana on a championship team. I didn’t see him as Swami’s metaphorical guy-with-a-big-flashlight. I saw him as yet another talented player passing through, and had no more attachment to him than I had to Hersey Hawkins or Maurice Taylor or Charles Smith. To me, moving him for CP3 was a complete no-brainer, because you were trading a solid B+ player who might get to A- for a no-doubt-about-it proven A+.
With Blake, it’s different. Yes, there are guys out there who are better players right now. And part of me really wants to say that, of course, if you could trade him for Howard or Durant you’d have to do it. But I can’t, for two reasons.
The first reason is the emotional one: He’s the first bona fide superstar we’ve had in decades, and the other two (Bill Walton and Danny Manning) never got to be what they could have been because of career-changing injuries. He may not be the best player on the team anymore — thank you, God/Jesus/Allah/Mohammed/Buddah/Yahweh/Vishnu/Gaia/Zeus/Jah/the Universe for the gift that is CP3 — but he’s still the face of the franchise, and the man totally responsible for making the Clippers relevant.
The second reason is more dispassionate: We don’t really know yet how good he can become. Right now, Dwight Howard is clearly the better player. Will he still be 2 or 3 years from now? Maybe … but that means betting against the drive and determination and work ethic of Blake Griffin, and that’s a bet I’m just not willing to make.
boltsfan21 - January 20, 2012
Don't forget FSM for the gift of CP3
Respect His Noodly Appendages!
agolden - January 20, 2012
facepalm
How could I forget FSM?!?!?!?!
boltsfan21 - January 20, 2012
Lets settle this Howard/Blake dispute at the free throw line!
PV Mike - January 20, 2012
I think that Blake Griffin trade articles on one of the most prominent Clipper sites.
Is just waiting for Blake Griffin to visit this site and get disgruntled.
Besides, next thing you know, Chris Sheridan looks at these articles and uses them as a new rumor story.
Also, Blake Griffin 5 years has the opportunity to be the face of the NBA/MVP/mega-star, assuming we resign him.
agolden - January 20, 2012
sorry about the clipped sentences
no pun intended
agolden - January 20, 2012
Dominant centers are more important then a dominant PF
especially since D-12’s career arc suggests he will be one of the 6-7 best centers of all-time and the best defensive player of the modern era.
I definitely understand the fact that Blake is essientially the savior of the Clipper franchise but strictly looking at basketball you make that trade 10 times out of 10 if your the Clippers.
Archon - January 20, 2012
This stated slightly differently
Dominant defensive centers will get you to the promised land more often than dominant offensive PFs.
ganima - January 20, 2012
Nice Write up but I think BG is a bigger Star then you Think. I don't agree with you here.
HVYDRT007 - January 20, 2012
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