5 Surprising Blake Griffin Stats from 1st Half of 2014-15 Season
Remember when the common theme regarding Blake Griffin's offensive repertoire was that he was a dunker and not much else? That theme has changed dramatically, because now Griffin is one of the most unique bigs in the entire league.
He is as skilled of a passer as any frontcourt player, his shooting range has extended to the three-point line, and he can grab a rebound and lead a fast break.
There are still areas that Griffin needs to improve, but these five statistics stand out from all of the others, good or bad.
All statistics accurate as of February 1.
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Assist Percentage
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While his aerial acrobatics continually land him on the nightly highlights, Griffin's skill level has expanded. His passing has always been underrated, but now he is the focal point of the offense from the elbow.
Griffin is assisting on a career-high 25.2 percent of his teammates' baskets while on the floor, up from 19.2 last season, according to Basketball Reference. He has more open passing lanes operating from the elbow than he did playing on the block with his back to the basket.
This has vaulted Griffin into impressive company. He is dishing out a higher percentage of assists than Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving or Monta Ellis.
Part of his success can be attributed to his pick-and-roll sets with Chris Paul. However, Griffin ranks 12th among qualified players in usage percentage at 29.5, proving he is the focal point of the Los Angeles Clippers' offense.
Touches Per Game
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Griffin is being used on nearly 30 percent of the Clippers' possessions while on the floor this year, as mentioned on the previous slide. However, where those touches are coming and how they compare to his peers might surprise you.
According to NBA.com, Griffin ranks 12th in touches per game at 83.8. That is the exact same number as LeBron James and slightly more than Russell Westbrook.
Furthermore, Griffin is one of the league's best at playing out of the pinch post. He ranks second, behind Marc Gasol, with 11.8 elbow touches per game, per NBA.com. This is the perfect area to feature Griffin, despite ranking 158th in points per touch in the half court.
He has a solid free-throw rate (38.1 percent) and remarkable assist percentage, and he can shoot and dunk over most defenders. Finally, his ball-handling ability is impressive for a player his size, allowing him to attack in transition or facing up from the elbow.
Dunk Attempts
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One of the most athletic forwards in the league, Griffin punished opponents in the paint early in his career. During his first three seasons, he finished with over 200 dunks twice, according to Basketball Reference.
Griffin dominated in the paint, mainly living above the rim, because his skills on the perimeter were still developing. Although his jumper became more reliable in 2013-14, he was still attacking the rim, slamming home 176 dunks.
However, this season Griffin has focused his attacks from the perimeter. His average shot distance extended from 8.8 last season to 10.5, per Basketball Reference.
More alarming, his dunk total has dropped off considerably from his career average. This is mainly due to fatigue, according to Griffin's article for The Players' Tribune.
"My first few years in the league, I was relying on my athleticism to get me by, because that’s what got me to the NBA. The problem with that is, you end up getting really, really tired by February. My rookie year I tried to get out of bed on a road trip near the end of the season and I was like, Am I physically able to walk right now? I went out on the floor that night and ran up and down just trying to look like a real NBA human.
"
Griffin dunked on 16.4 percent of his career field-goal attempts. That percentage is down to 8.2 percent this season, totaling 65 as of February 1.
Rebound Percentages
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Because he was not blessed with an elite physical frame—6'8.5" tall with a 6'11.25" wingspan, per Draft Express—Griffin had to work hard on the boards early in his career. During his first two seasons, he pulled down 12.1 and 10.9 rebounds per game, respectively.
Griffin's development of his perimeter skills took away some offensive rebounding opportunities. The more jumpers he began attempting, the less he contributed on the offensive glass.
Additionally, his defensive rebounding has declined as he has decided to conserve some of his energy, per his article for The Players' Tribune. Griffin pulled down 26.9 percent of the defensive rebounds available during his rookie season, according to Basketball Reference. That number has fallen to 18.0 percent this season.
Griffin will need to put in more work on the glass in the playoffs, which means he might be conserving some of his energy during the regular season. Regardless, the Clippers need to focus on limiting offensive rebounds if they want to advance out of the first round. Griffin will need to be a factor on the boards for this to happen.
Offensive Real Plus-Minus
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Griffin may be dunking less and shooting from farther out than ever before, but his overall offensive impact has been irreplaceable.
According to ESPN.com, Griffin leads all power forwards in offensive real plus-minus at 3.89, a mark that is good enough to rank 15th among all players. His passing ability, extended range and increased usage percentage have contributed to his elite real plus-minus numbers.
More importantly, his efficiency has improved, allowing Griffin to be more effective than ever before. This season he is recording career-highs in free-throw (72.0), three-point (38.1) and turnover (9.9) percentage, per Basketball Reference.
Griffin can now dribble-drive from multiple areas of the floor, shoot from distance and pass as well as any big in the league. He is a unique player with the skill set of a guard and the power of a forward. There aren't many players around who can do what he can on the floor, which is why the Clippers have been so successful since selecting him with the first pick in the 2009 NBA draft.
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