Blake Griffin is a sq. peg in a spherical gap. On a roster affected by younger, versatile gamers, the 33-year-old (who will have fun a birthday on this highway journey) doesn’t precisely match the mould. To a person. the teaching employees and his teammates have all recommended and credited Griffin for his management and presence within the locker room, however throughout this most up-to-date bounce again stretch, he’s made an affect on the ground, too.
“His emotional, psychological, and bodily toughness,” head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned of what Griffin brings to the court docket. “His capability to maintain performs alive, his capability to make the toughness performs whether or not it’s costs, deflections, unfastened balls, offensive rebounds, screening. There are specific individuals — and he’s one in all them — that when he’s on the ground, all people else is best. Due to his expertise and toughness and the way in which he performs, he does that.”
Griffin was a +5 in fifteen minutes in opposition to the Hawks with a 8 factors, 5 rebounds, an help, a steal, and a block. Boston has been 9.5 factors higher per 100 possessions with him on the ground for the season and whereas he is probably not filling the stat sheet with factors anymore, it’s the energy-lifting performs that create momentum and naturally, all people loves him:
“I give Blake a variety of credit score, a man that was a famous person on this league, a number of All-Stars, All-NBA, who was actually on the high,” Jayson Tatum mentioned of Griffin. “Whether or not it was by means of accidents or no matter, has actually taken on a special position and it’s been actually distinctive to see his angle on a regular basis. He doesn’t play for 2 weeks [with] with sure guys out, he may play 4 or 5 video games in a row.”
Over the past three video games together with a begin in Cleveland, Griffin has been the primary choice large behind Al Horford. It hasn’t been Luke Kornet who has performed the sixth most video games (56) or (mysteriously) Grant Williams or the newly-acquired Mike Muscala. It’s been the 13-year veteran who’s getting taking part in time with Robert Williams nursing a hamstring harm. It might be one factor if these have been the doldrums of December. No, with simply over a dozen video games left within the common season, it’s Blake Griffin getting in some run earlier than the playoffs.
Tatum additionally credited Griffin for taking the primary bus to the sector and taking part in pickup with a few of the end-of-bench gamers to maintain up their cardio on off-days. If Griffin continues his robust play into April, he is likely to be taking the second bus when the postseason arrives.
