Is Blake Griffin the Next Marcus Fizer?

You might be asking yourself right now, "Who is Marcus Fizer?" Or maybe you're thinking, "Oh, yeah, I think I remember him."

Marcus Fizer was selected fourth overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2000 NBA Draft. He played four disappointing seasons with the Bulls, peaking in his second year at 12.3 ppg and 5.6 rbg. He spent his fifth season in Milwaukee, doing very little, and eventually washed out of the league.

The point of this article is not to disparage Blake Griffin. Hundreds and hundreds of draft experts, scouts, and NBA analysts have seen great potential in him. I see great potential in him. But, of course, we never really know how these things will turn out. Try googling "NBA draft busts."

Rather, the point of this article is to point out the similarities between Marcus Fizer and Blake Griffin. I can't ignore the many consistencies that keep coming up between these two.

Size and Position

Marcus Fizer was listed at 6'9", 260 pounds coming out of Iowa State. While he played a lot of center at Iowa State, he was considered to be playing out of position. He was a power forward.

Blake Griffin is listed at 6'10", 251 pounds coming out of Oklahoma. Blake played alongside his brother as a power forward for the Sooners.

College Career

Marcus Fizer played three years for the Iowa Sate Cyclones. He improved from 14.9 ppg and 6.7 rbg his first year, to 22.8 ppg and 7.7 rbg his final year. His field goal percentage also increased from 47 percent to 58 percent.

Blake Griffin played two years for the Oklahoma Sooners. He improved from 14.7 ppg and 9.1 rbg his first year, to 22.7 and 14.4 rbg his final year. His field goal percentage also increased from 56 percent to 65 percent.

Marcus Fizer is a two-time All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection and an All-American. He was runner-up in Associated Press Player of the Year and Wooden Award balloting. He led Iowa State to the "Elite Eight" in his final year.

Blake Griffin is a two-time All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection and an All-American. He won the Associated Press Player of the Year and Wooden Award balloting. He led Oklahoma to the "Elite Eight" in his final year.

Scouting Report

Just prior to the 2000 NBA Draft, ESPN's Jay Bilas had this to say about Marcus Fizer:

"No player in the college ranks, with perhaps the exception of a healthy Kenyon Martin, was as dominant as Iowa State's Marcus Fizer. Fizer is an explosive low-post scorer who can hit a variety of shots over defenders, and powers his way to the basket and finishes strong. Fizer runs fairly well, and shows good toughness on the offensive end."

About a week ago, looking ahead to this week's 2009 NBA Draft, Jay Bilas had this to say about Blake Griffin:

"A freak athlete. He is quick, he is strong, he is really explosive off the floor, and he's physically imposing. He's got great hands and feet, he's an outstanding finisher... He's going to be able to hit a face-up jumper from 15-18 feet. He's also going to improve his post game where he's got a really solid go-to move and a counter in the post."

They were both scouted as explosive scorers who are physical, can finish strong, and have the ability to shoot.

Draft Day

Marcus Fizer was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, a franchise that had become a joke since the departure of Jordan and the gang a few years earlier. The Bulls took Fizer, a power forward, despite having Elton Brand and Ron Artest already on the roster. They were reported to have a plan to remedy the situation with a trade, but it never worked out.

It is widely accepted that Blake Griffin will be selected first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers, perhaps the worst franchise in the history of the NBA. It seems the Clippers find a way to mess up everything.

The Clippers are expected to select Blake Griffin, a power forward, despite having Zach Randolph, Al Thornton, and Marcus Camby already on the roster. Many have reported that the Clippers will remedy the situation with a trade. Will the Clippers be able to make it work?

Conclusion

The similarities between Marcus Fizer and Blake Griffin leading up to their prospective NBA careers are almost eerie. Will Blake Griffin live up to the hype surrounding him? Could he be the next Charles Barkley (Fizer got that comparison a lot), Kenyon Martin, or Amare Stoudemire?

Or could he be the next Marcus Fizer?