Injuries are part of the game regardless of how fit you you are, or how careful you are. I think its great to have a player like Blake Griffin, literally giving his all. In a league filled with whiners, complainers, playing for a paycheck, ego's, and over all lack of commitment to the game there are players like Griffin who just want to play, who just want to win regardless of the situation.
What to do with Blake Griffin?
The Los Angeles Clippers and their precocious young forward are in a bit of quandary. At first glance, though, it's not apparent why.Playing in that style is what makes him special. He knows no other way to play, and that's admirable.
In terms of a parallel player from history, how about Larry Bird? Obviously different skill-sets, but Larry too played with a reckless abandon that eventually shortened his career.
You had the best player in the game diving into the stands, crashing his head into the floor...basically doing anything required to win the game.
Larry wouldn't be legend if he was a guy who knew how to play at 85% effort.
Griffin is meant to be the Clippers' future, based largely on his possession of two superior qualities that cannot be taught: athleticism and work rate. He has unique explosiveness, agility, strength and quickness coupled with unmatched heart, desire, effort, focus, intensity and hustle.
This combination of physical, mental and emotional tools has grown men across America drooling over his potential. He has both the ability and attitude to become a superstar.
"He could be Amar'e who tries on defense! Rodman who scores! RODMAR'E!"
And to quiet those who doubted whether he could return from last season's knee injury, he has been posting beastly double-doubles this preseason, replete with steals and blocks.
Should be an unquestionable formula for success, right? But there are concerns.
They say you have to be fearless to be great, and Griffin has certainly got that down. Still, he plays with such utter reckless abandon, throwing his body all over the court to corral rebounds, save loose balls, block shots and attack the rim, that he is a walking (or sprinting/leaping/flying) injury risk.
Everything he does on the court makes you gasp, simultaneously in awe and fear. He is unbelievably impressive, although sometimes he crosses the line to foolhardiness.
If the injury possibility had yet remained merely that, a possibility, then I wouldn't be suggesting Griffin consider altering his style. However, he has a laundry list of injuries and close calls, several of them coming quite recently.
Just a few examples: Griffin tweaked an ankle on Saturday, though it is apparently very minor. Last week against the Spurs, he attempted a soaring weakside block on Tim Duncan, came crashing to floor and landed hard on his back. He briefly stayed down in pain before dusting himself off. Moreover, he is known to dive over the scorer's table, which isn't exactly the safest maneuver.
Then there is last year's broken kneecap, which Griffin suffered after finishing a thunderous preseason dunk. You could dismiss it as a freak injury, but isn't Griffin more likely to endure such damage?
This brings us to some tough questions. How much more risk does Griffin really undertake compared to the average player? Will tempering his aggressiveness significantly reduce his effectiveness? Is it worth being more careful to extend Griffin's career? Could he even play any other way?
I have been searching for historical parallels—examples of players like Griffin—to see if we could learn anything about their career paths and apply it to Blake. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find anyone who accurately fits Griffin's mold. He really is distinctive with his aforementioned combination of skills.
Most uber-athletic big men, such as Stoudemire and Dwight Howard, don't put their bodies in danger nearly as much as Griffin. Most hustle guys, such as Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams and Anderson Varejao, lack Griffin's elite athleticism.
So I don't know if there are any specific answers; it seems like this might just be a guessing game.
I'm going to take a page out of my investment banker friends' books and analyze Griffin's prospective future on a risk-reward basis.
If Griffin doesn't change and maintains his characteristic reckless abandon, he theoretically could become a Hall of Famer. Michael Jordan is the GOAT more due to his intangibles than his talent. While Griffin's intangibles may not be exactly the same as Jordan's—for example Blake's endless hustle vs Mike's killer instinct—he radiates similar drive to win every moment of every play.
That type of singular resolve separates the true great ones. On the other hand, Griffin could see injuries add up, miss significant court time, and lose his athleticism.
If Griffin plays more cautiously he could still be an All-Star, but his ceiling would be lowered dramatically. He's not offensively talented enough to be a superstar without his rare work rate. While he would still be as susceptible to random injuries as anyone, they would be less of a threat.
We could also get into which scenario is better for the Clippers. Do they hope Griffin develops into that once-in-a-generation guy? Or do they simply settle for a solid starter who stays on the floor?
I watched Griffin for the couple of years he was at Oklahoma and many times felt he was over risking his body for the sake of the team.
One thing that saved him at times was his gymnastic flexibility. He's able to bend and contort like a 5'8 Bart Conner and seems to know how to take a fall like a stunt man. At other times, I've seen him land splay legged and always ask myself why he's doing so.
He was the most beaten on guy I'd ever seen in college ball. Everyone remembers the body slam he took in NCAAs but many forgot the dirty shots, the groin punches and the knees he got in college. He never retaliated, never got thrown out but he certainly endured a lot of punishment. In my opinion, Griffin should not relinquish the aspect of his game that makes him special. He is a joy to watch, and the Clippers finally boast a player that fans can actually get excited about. Furthermore, he will spend a career igniting his teammates and intimidating opponents.
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