Is DeMar DeRozan The Franchise-Changing Player For The Clippers?

Naturally I had to put something out about these two stars of the summer league. Generally you don’t compare a forward-center with a guard-forward. But then again in these times, versatility is at a premium.

Here is something I bet you likely did not realize with all the focus starting to shift on the NFL and baseballs trade deadline: DeRozan will be more of a franchise player than first overall pick Blake Griffin. How did I arrive at this conclusion?

Toronto fans, have you not realized how much you are being bombarded with news about DeRozan? So far, he has been marketed as the new and improved Vince Carter.

Have you not taken noticed that most of the from the Raptors are almost always focusing on DeRozan? Do you think that these are just coincidences?

The Raptor family would like you to adopt DeRozan as the new face of the franchise (move over Bosh, you are yesterday's news). These facts are just simple points that I would ask you to consider.

Look at Blake Griffin. If I hear about how "polished he is for his age" one more time, I will be making it my personal business to injure Griffin in this year’s version of NBA Live.

Here’s a point for you; unless you are part of the upper tier of players OR you have chosen to stay for four years of college, you generally are going to have an advantage against players that came out of high school, or generally weren’t that good to begin with.

Also, let’s not forget there aren’t any real big men playing summer league at this point. So excuse me if I’m not excited about Blake "dominating" Hasheem "the worse draft pick ever" Thabeet or an underdeveloped Earl Barron. Better yet, how about Wizards second-year forward Dominic McGuire?

Please don’t give me any of that nonsense that the same scouts are stating.

“It's not only his work ethic and competitiveness, it's the balance, athleticism, body, and control. The stuff he can't do yet? It'll happen in no time.”

These comments are complete and total nonsense. Have we forgotten what an NBA player who cares looks like?

A.C Green, the NBA iron-man, gave effort every day over the 903+ games he played in a row as a starter and backup. I don’t recall holding a parade for him because he did his job.

Have we grown so complacent as an NBA society that we get excited when a rookie gives maximum effort? Does anyone remember Isaiah (JR) Rider when he came from UNLV? He was such a polite, punctual individual (we all know what happened after he got sucked up by the NBA culture some years after).

Unconvinced? Raptor fans, I will give you the player that crushed our dream into a nightmare once he realized that he controlled everything…Vince Carter.

I almost went into shock looking at a random YouTube clip. After watching the clip, you have to realize that VC could have been one of the better players in league history.

Watch the clip and you will see what I mean. If you actually don’t get angry thinking about what could have been, then you really haven’t been Raptors fans long enough.

If DeRozan is supposed to re-energize a fan base that has been craving a big-time athletic marvel-scorer, then that’s fine. However, at this current time, it is too early to be counting potential All-Star nominations and his MVP speech when the Raptors win the finals. 

Please understand that certain things need to be in place in order for a rookie to blossom into a franchise-changer. First, he has to want to be there (check for both Blake, and DeRozan based on their comments).

Second, they have to have a solid supporting cast and veteran presence to take the pressure off (check for both, even those I’m stretching with this year’s clipper’s squad). Third, good management has to be in place, consistent and stick with the plan (only DeRozan gets a check here). Finally, the player has to show a marked improvement from year one to year three (can’t comment on this year).

Ultimately, I have to say I agree that DeRozan can be a franchise-changing player based on the above criteria. However, Griffin certainly has the odds stacked against him.

I have no malice against Griffin; this article was written strictly from a basketball perspective. While I think Griffin will be a serviceable player, I do not see him apart of the upper-tier of NBA players.

I believe just because he’s a Clipper, his ceiling is third tier or at best the second tier (David West, Manu, Kevin Martin). Blake is more than welcome to prove me wrong.

However, I have 30 years of Clipper mismanagement, horrible drafting, and ridiculous trades to back me up. DeRozan, you are being groomed to succeed. Griffin, you have a considerable way to go in order not to fail.