Why Blake Griffin Has the Most to Prove Heading into the 2014 NBA Season

Going into the 2014 NBA season many players have a lot to prove, from Roy Hibbert proving he isn't a player on the decline, to Derrick Rose proving he can be healthy, to Ricky Rubio proving he's worth a lucrative extension with the Timberwolves.

But the player with the most to prove may be Blake Griffin.

The Clippers' star is looking to take the step from a great player to an elite all-around player in the mold of LeBron James, Derrick Rose or Kevin Durant. To do this, Griffin will have to continue the trend of becoming a well-rounded offensive and defensive player.

Last season, Griffin improved in nearly every statistical category from the previous season, averaging 24.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. The biggest offensive change for Griffin has been his development of his outside shot, evidenced by his steadily increasing field goal percentage from 10 feet out to the three-point line: 39.5% last season, 34.9% in 2012-13 and 32.55% in 2011-12. Griffin will need this trend to continue in order to provide more operating space for center DeAndre Jordan.

Griffin has been consistently known as a dunker. He won the NBA Dunk Contest in 2011 and is good for a ESPN Top 10 dunk at least once a week. The additions to his offensive repertoire have gone somewhat unnoticed due to his dunking ability.

On defense, Griffin is known for flashy steals and blocks, but last season had a career-high 4.1 defensive win shares, showing he is contributing on a more consistent basis. Last season was also the first in which the Clippers' opponents averaged a lower offensive rating with Griffin on the court than with him off it.

Despite all of these improvements, Griffin is a part of an extremely talented team that has failed to reach the Conference Finals as of yet. Even with a "Big Three" of Chris Paul, Griffin and Jordan, this team hasn't yet been able to beat elite teams in playoff series and advance. All of the individual accomplishments and improvements will mean nothing if this team cannot win critical series.

During the Clippers media day, Griffin attempted to divert some of the blame away from Paul for their Game 5 meltdown against the Oklahoma Thunder last season, as reported by Melissa Rohlin of the LA Times:

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"You hear this all the time, but one guy can't win or lose on his own, and it's not fair to put any type of blame on anybody. We were all out there playing, we all made mistakes, we all did things we wish we could change. But, like you said, it's not whether it's fair or not, it is what it is.... We can't hold our heads and feel sorry for ourselves because it's us. It's nobody else, it's us, so we have to take that responsibility as a team."

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As if the pressure of being an underachieving playoff team wasn't bad enough, Griffin and the Clippers will also have the added scrutiny of being the first team to play under new owner Steve Ballmer. The former Microsoft CEO bought the team for $2 billion in a deal that was finalized in August and will be looking to see some return on that investment.

Blake Griffin turned some heads among the basketball faithful last season, showing that he has one of the highest ceilings in the league. However, he will need to have some postseason success to show that he is a great all-around player and face of a franchise in the mold of Durant, James, or Rose. Can he keep up this level of play and start the Ballmer era with a title?

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