Lakers vs. Clippers: Blake Griffin Must Find Consistency for Lob City to Succeed

Before Lob City can go from a preseason gimmick to a postseason contender, Blake Griffin must produce on both ends for four quarters. That is also the case for their hopes of dethroning the Lakers as the featured attraction in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have history and an unquestioned star in Kobe Bryant, who is playing out of his mind right now.

The Clippers have been inconsistent this season, which is to be expected with so many new key additions and no real training camp. Still, Griffin's scoring late and his defense throughout needs to improve for the Clippers to take the next step.

Can the Clippers become the team in L.A. or even beat the Lakers head-to-head without a strong performance from Griffin? I don't see how it's possible.

Griffin has only attempted 13 shots with under four minutes remaining in the game. He has made only two of them, and 15 percent shooting from your leading scorer in crunch time is rarely a recipe for success.

You can bet Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will be converging on Griffin with their size and athleticism to limit his impact.

On defense, Griffin is not yet a factor, despite his tremendous athleticism. He doesn't take many charges, nor does he block shots. Through eight games, he has blocked only four shots this season.

Who does Griffin guard against the Lakers? Will he play physical against Gasol? Could he hold Bynum enough to protect DeAndre Jordan from foul trouble?

Griffin will probably never be a top-notch defender, but improvement would rescue Jordan from the secluded island of interior defense he's stranded on nightly.

The fact that he is the only true center on the roster, and that he gets virtually no help inside, contributes to his foul trouble, as much as his lack of discipline does.

When Jordan is out, the Clippers suffer defensively. Jordan is the league's leading shot-blocker; his presence is vital to the Clippers defense, and he often ignites the transition play that the Clippers thrive in.

Griffin could help shoulder some of that load on defense.

Griffin's game is aggressive and effective, but it's limited and a bit impractical in late-game scenarios. Defenses are guarding against the lob plays late, and his bullish drives are thwarted by swarming double-teams.

If Griffin can work to make defenders respect his jump shot, it will do wonders for his game. It will make him nearly unguardable in isolation while adding a new element to the pick-and-roll/pop plays with Chris Paul.

Lob City is indeed exciting, but Griffin's growth and maturity are the keys to beating the Lakers and reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

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