Blake Griffin Reminds Us He Can't Shoot with New Kia Spot Debuting Christmas Day

Blake Griffin and the Kia Optima have been a winning combination ever since the Los Angeles Clippers star leapt over the car and finished an alley-oop from Baron Davis to win the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.

Since that time, Griffin has starred in a series of Kia commercials.

The walking highlight reel has used the platform to showcase both his timely delivery and ability to laugh at himself.

In the duo's latest offering (set for a Christmas debut), Griffin again reminds his former self (and the nation) that he might not be the most effective shooter in the league.

Considering the NBA's obsession with cool, the self-deprecation from one of its biggest stars is both unexpected and refreshing.

The ironic part, though, is that this winning combination may be approaching its last leg, at least as far as his shooting is concerned.

Griffin's always going to be known for his rim-shattering, soul-devouring finishes, but he's quietly improved on that jumper that he's repeatedly mocked.

During his rookie season, he shot just 34 percent from mid-range. He saw modest gains during his sophomore campaign, bumping the number to 36 percent.

In 2012-13, though, he's elevated that success rate like one of his nightly, notable dunks. He's converting 41 percent of his mid-range attempts (50-of-123 on the season). That puts him nearly on par with Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge (42 percent) and better than Atlanta's Al Horford (38) and Memphis' Zach Randolph (36).

Would the commercials have the same effect with Horford or Randolph in his place? Absolutely not.

And that's probably for the better, since my best guess is that neither could approach Griffin's acting chops.

Enjoy them while you can, because Griffin is quickly erasing ideas for future ads.