Los Angeles Clippers Welcome Back Blake Griffin
By Pablo Jacobo
Blake Griffin made his triumphant return to the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday against the Houston Rockets.
Doc said Blake was cleared and he told him he was ready to return. That's all he needed to hear. He will start today with no limitations.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) March 15, 2015
Griffin looked sore as he led a few fast breaks for the Clippers. A bit winded at times, as expected, but moved around well on the floor. He ended the afternoon with a near triple-double, contributing 11 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
He played 40 plus minutes in his return.
The Clippers were without their All-Star power forward for the last 15 games. They went 9-6 without Griffin in the lineup. Griffin was recovering from surgery to clean up a staph infection in his right elbow.
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Los Angeles welcomed back Blake’s 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game to the starting unit with open arms.
In the past the Clippers have gone into the playoffs banged up. This year it seems quite the opposite. Having a healthy Griffin back for the playoff push will be dangerous for the rest of the Western Conference.
By adding the perennial All-Star to the brilliant Chris Paul and the emerging DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers will be impossible to contend with. CP3 has inserted himself into the MVP race by keeping the Clipper ship afloat. Jordan on the other hand has solidified his candidacy for defensive player of the year. Jordan continued his assault on the boards against the Rockets with 20 boards. He’s grabbed 14-plus rebounds in 15 straight games. Both Paul and Jordan have been playing out of their minds for the Clippers.
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J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes have found their stroke again which will open up the paint for their big three. Redick has scored at least 17 points in each of the last six contests. Barnes has been a thorn on defense against every player he’s faced. Now if Barnes can limit his bone-headed plays, he will be very useful.
In Blake’s absence, the Clippers added several players to strengthen their bench options. They added Nate Robinson, Jordan Hamilton and Dahntay Jones. Hamilton turned an ankle in the 3rd quarter; his 10-day contract expires on Tuesday. Coach Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers has been playing very well off the bench. The reigning sixth-man of the year Jamal Crawford is still banged up, but when he returns to the bench, the second unit will be a force to be reckoned with. Spencer Hawes and Glen Davis have been solid for L.A giving much needed rest to the front court.
A healthy Blake Griffin is a dangerous Blake Griffin.
Griffin’s presence on the court will free up the rest of his teammates. It may take a few games to for him to get acclimated with the team, but his familiarity with the squad should be a quick transition. In addition, Griffin will be another voice on the court for the Clippers. As one of the leaders of the team, he will need help his team keep their composure as they lead the NBA in technical fouls.
Something to keep an eye on will be if Jordan can keep up his stellar play with Griffin back in the lineup. Jordan has put up ridiculous numbers without Griffin. He was the lone inside presence in the paint on both ends of the court. Could Blake’s return limit DJ’s aggressiveness? DeAndre has never been known to be an offensive juggernaut but his role should not change. Rebounds and blocks will be available for him.
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Adding another weapon for CP3, will be bad news for other teams. The Clippers look like a more confident team. Consistency is the name of the game going forward for the Clippers. They have seemingly played well without their All-Star. This could only be positive for the team heading into the playoffs. A healthy Blake Griffin is a dangerous Blake Griffin.
We’ll see how the team reacts to Griffin’s return. Los Angeles lost a close one to Houston 100-98.