Blake Griffin: Nobody is giving me time to develop.

[Clippersfan86]

If CP3 is truly the best point guard in the game today, and has always been, including Nash's MVP years and the years that followed when Nash was even BETTER statistically than his MVP years, than there is no reason why Blake's lack of improvement should be put on Paul. It can't be both ways mate. CP3 can't be your MVP (I believe you stated that you think he should be the MVP a week or two ago, no?), but make Blake Griffin a worse player. You gotta pick a side.

Chris Paul is deserving of MVP because take him off the Clippers and they don't make the playoffs. I didn't say he made Griffin better. Though overall I think everybody outside of Griffin benefited greatly from his presence. I don't think he made Griffin worse, as I said that was strong wording. He sure as hell didn't help him make the leap I expected he would.

[Micku]

I know it does. Note the satire in my post, referring to you saying, just a short while ago, that Griffin has the potential to be a Top 5-10 PF of all time. Doesn't seem viable when someone else states it, eh?

He is a good player, who's dunking exhibitions have warranted him the type of attention that GREAT players receive. But, that's the thing. He's NOT great. Not yet. And, in my estimation, even if and when he DOES tap into that potential, I don't think he'll be an All-Time Great. Better than Duncan, Malone, KG, Mchale, Petit, Barkley, or Dirk? I know you seem to think so, but I don't. Doesn't mean he can't be one of the best PFs in his era. But there's a difference between being great, and being an ALL TIME great.

Dirk is actually a very good example. Dirk in his second year wasn't as impressive as Blake Griffin in his second year or Griffin's rookie year. And Dirk didn't hit his peak until arguably last year, when he was 32 years old. Dirk improved his game a lot since his earlier days. Who knows what type of player would Griffin be like in his peak. He just have potential to be great.

If Dirk and Griffin played at the same time, both would be rookies and go on to their sophomore year, I think a lot of ppl would say that Blake would be better.

Similar to KG. Look at KG as a rookie and sophomore year.

And Karl Malone. Karl Malone arguably didn't peak until his 30s. He became a better defender as well. You can look at Karl Malone ad a rookie and sophomore too. And it doesn't compare to his later works.

I think the only PF who is active that had a flat out better rookie year and sophomore year is Duncan. Duncan was a stud from the start.

[Kiddlovesnets]

I think expectation really had been skyhigh for Blake. Dude is a poor man's Amare and people are treating him like prime Duncan...

[Matty2Cool]

Griffin's demeanor looks different in the postseason so far. He looks very shook out there.

He's not flopping with confidence like I'm used to seeing him.

[andgar923]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...25,full.column

Great read by TJ Simers who does it again.

"Nobody is giving me time to develop," Griffin said without complaint while both knees were wrapped in ice after the Clippers' 108-92 Game 1 loss to the Spurs. "I have years to improve, but for some reason everyone talks now about what I can't do."

here's my complain against him...

I understand that his shot will be more consistent with experience.
It's a given that his defense will improve with time.
I also know that he'll become smarter at reading the defense

My biggest complaint against Blake is his lack of basic shit.

He doesn't know how to set a pick or roll. He still lacks many basic offensive moves in the post. I can forgive perimeter moves, but I'm referring to basic high school moves.

So far he solely relies on his athletic ability, which there's nothing wrong, but he'd be much better if he had a set of basic fundamentally sound moves coming into the league.

Duncan was already killing with simple basic fundamental moves. Duncan was also way smarter on both ends of the floor, and had a general superior understanding of the game (higher IQ).

[SCdac]

Griffin is one of my favorite big men, but ironically enough I liked him more last year, on a losing team, not teamed with bitch-made Chris Paul (who probably leaves the Clippers eventually). In 2011 Blake was assisting more for others, and was assisted on less of his made baskets. His intangibles seemed to ring through more, despite not having winning results. Always felt Griffin had "it" (from the first time I watched him live over 2 years ago), that greatness that's innate, but I think he should try to develop his jump shot greatly (ala Duncan, Garnett, Dirk, Amare) to keep teams on their toes, and continue running plays out of the post (instead of becoming a finisher, after Paul dominates the ball). I don't like the comments he's making here, feeling sorry for himself, the pressure getting to him, but I can understand why he's making them. He's inexperienced and you cant change that overnight. Still, he was arguably the most NBA ready player to come out of that draft - no reason he shouldn't be improving on some relatively glaring weaknesses.

[TheBluest]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...25,full.column

Great read by TJ Simers who does it again.

"Nobody is giving me time to develop," Griffin said without complaint while both knees were wrapped in ice after the Clippers' 108-92 Game 1 loss to the Spurs. "I have years to improve, but for some reason everyone talks now about what I can't do."

This is why I shot down the thread someone started that he was overrated uhhhh he's getting criticized a lot lately and sometimes undeserved but he needs to improve...

A bigger and more truer statement is

NO ONE IS GIVING VINNY TIME TO COACH THIS TEAM

[Kobe 4 The Win]

He must be reading ISH

[305Baller]

I agree with Griffin's assessment but he has to develop in playoff pressure.
He has to deal with the reality given.

[SevereUpInHere]

He must be reading ISH

F*ck you Griffin if you're reading this.

ISH #1!!11!!

[Teanett]

Dirk is actually a very good example. Dirk in his second year wasn't as impressive as Blake Griffin in his second year or Griffin's rookie year. And Dirk didn't hit his peak until arguably last year, when he was 32 years old. Dirk improved his game a lot since his earlier days. Who knows what type of player would Griffin be like in his peak. He just have potential to be great.

If Dirk and Griffin played at the same time, both would be rookies and go on to their sophomore year, I think a lot of ppl would say that Blake would be better.

Similar to KG. Look at KG as a rookie and sophomore year.

And Karl Malone. Karl Malone arguably didn't peak until his 30s. He became a better defender as well. You can look at Karl Malone ad a rookie and sophomore too. And it doesn't compare to his later works.

I think the only PF who is active that had a flat out better rookie year and sophomore year is Duncan. Duncan was a stud from the start.

dirk wasnt physically ready to play in the nba. he had to adjust to the speed and physicality but his skills, his shot and ballhandling were already there.
he fine tuned-them and learned how to use them more more effectively but they were there from the get-go, same with z-bo, same with duncan, same with webber.
blake has the body but his basketball skills are just average (for an nba player).

[Richesly]

Guy has zero post game, no jumpshot and can't shot free throws. Right now he is nothing more than a really good athlete who can't play defense.

He had a god damn jumper against the hawks.

[guy]

He's only in his 2nd year and he's already directly responding to criticism. He should shut up. Thats not a good look for him. Don't make excuses and tell everyone that you will eventually be a better player. Just do it.

As much as I hate Lebron, at least he doesn't really directly respond to criticism. I'm not sure he ever made excuses for his Cavs teams that everyone else were giving him a pass for. Didn't make an excuse about last year.

Great players don't complain like that especially this early in their careers. I'm starting to doubt that he has the mental makeup to really be on an all-time level like Duncan, KG, Malone, Barkley, Dirk, etc.

[wang4three]

Was it any different for Tyreke, Rose, Durant, Roy, and Chris Paul following their ROY seasons? Even non-ROY winners but still very good to great players like John Wall, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez, Rudy Gay, Deron Williams, and Dwight Howard were criticized highly following promising seasons.

He should take a look at his peers and realize...it's not special to specifically him. Everyone's getting it.

[Pinkhearts]

Judging players by stats seems very misguided now. I won't agree that the best players put up the best stats. Sure it takes great skill to put up amazing stats, but it's only up to a certain point.

Once you can average better than 20/10 and can explode for over 40 points when needed I'll consider that good enough. I wouldn't argue that a 27/14 player is better than a 23/12 player because the difference is so negligible especially when the second player is in a better team. The stat difference could be due to meaningless stat padding when your team isn't contending anymore.

Just look at Messi. He just had his statistically best ever season, breaking all time scoring records and having his highest assists. But yet he has won nothing. Barca fans will tell you that this is not his best season, especially during his little slump time when Barca lost a lot of points and got kicked out of CL.
If you keep dumping the ball to a talented player and expect him to do all the work, of course he's going to produce great stats. But that doesn't make a winning or even a good team. To win you will need a balanced team, and having a star player scoring all the goals or points and dominating all the plays is definitely not balanced. A real winner will have lowered albeit still great stats