Blake Griffin Must Dominate The 2015 Playoffs To Show The Clippers He’s Worth Keeping Around
Many predicted the first-round playoff match-up between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs to be one of, if not the most, entertaining series in the playoffs this season.
Now that game one is in the books, that fire has only been fueled to new heights.
Despite lackluster play from San Antonio, Game 1 was an absolute thrill to watch — especially for Clippers fans.
Slightly shocking — and I use that word loosely — was the play of Clippers power-forward Blake Griffin. We all know that Griffin is great, but seeing as he’d be matched up with either Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter, many expected him to be a questionable presence in this series.
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Instead, he, along with Chris Paul, dominated in game one, giving Doc Rivers a healthy dose of mid-range shooting and an inside presence.
Griffin poured in 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three blocks. That’s about as well rounded of a game as you’ll find. That has to continue.
If Griffin can give Doc that kind of production throughout the post-season, this Clippers team will go very far.
Jamal Crawford aside, the Clippers’ bench was (predictably) absent in game one, making the production of Blake Griffin especially important.
When Blake Griffin is producing at peak efficiency, it keeps Doc Rivers from having to drag us all through the mud with Spencer Hawes or Glen Davis playing big minutes. As I’ve highlighted before, both of these players bring a certain stench to the already-fragile defense the Clippers play.
While respectable offensively, neither should get too many minutes in the playoffs.
Griffin playing well is the key to masking the horrid front court depth that sits just behind one of the best front court duos in the NBA.
But why?
Why is it up to Griffin and not DeAndre Jordan?
The answer is simple: free-throws.
Jordan is a defensive monster who eats rebounds for breakfast and swats away shots like they’re nothing more than bothersome insects flying around his head on a hot day. However, atrocious free-throw shooting (39.7 percent in the regular season) is the one weakness in Jordan’s game.
That weakness is what can keep the premier defender off of the court down the stretch — often a killing blow to the Clippers in close games.
If Blake Griffin is playing like the force he can be — and was throughout Game 1 — Jordan can be afforded more minutes down the stretch. Griffin will command the attention of defenders, meaning Jordan is free to be on the floor doing what he does best.
Sure, teams will still hack him, but once the clock is under two minutes, when that is no longer an option, his offensive involvement can be minimal due to Griffin’s proficiency.
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Fatigue will certainly come into play at some point should Griffin receive the hefty load of minutes that he saw in the opening game against San Antonio.
Obviously it’s not ideal for any player to post 45 plus minutes per-game, especially in the rough Western Conference playoffs, but if Griffin can muscle his team to wins, ending series early could be key to the Clippers’ success this post season.
Neither the Spurs nor Clippers are thrilled to be facing one-another in this first round, but for the Clippers, the tough matchup combined with sorely lacking depth is just another reason why Griffin must be dominant.
Bottom Line: But if he’s on fire, it might not matter
If he can be instrumental throughout, then the series can be done and over with, and as a result the team can get some much needed rest.
Surely Gregg Popovich will have an answer for Griffin and Paul down the line in this series, but Griffin will have to step up and power his team through if they’re to win this series and make a meaningful run deep into the post season.