Can't Tame The Beast: What Makes Blake Griffin a Nightmare for Any NBA Defense

Blake Griffin. Upon mention of the second-year rookie's name, reactions vary from a mere shaking of the head to an excited fan going on a spiel about his ability, power, talent and, most of all, his jaw-dropping dunks.

But don't tell that to Griffin himself.

The quiet Los Angeles Clippers forward has taken the NBA by storm with his amazing dunking ability, but what he doesn't want is for that to overshadow the fact that he has had 27 double-doubles in a row and is averaging 22.5 ppg and 12.8 rpg.

Good luck, Blake.

His dunk montage against the New York Knicks became an Internet sensation, and it seems that every game Griffin does something that either makes us shake our heads in awe or scream loud enough to scare the crap out of our significant others.

What we didn't expect was for Griffin to open up such an offensive repertoire, doing far more to burn his opponents than just dunk over them.

Griffin has found many ways to score with both his back to the basket and facing up from 17 feet or closer. He has even developed a Tim Duncan-like bank-shot that has been money, or in the infamous words of Randy Moss, "straight cash homie!"

When Griffin had to miss his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, he caused a collective letdown for Clippers supporters and every NBA fan alike that can appreciate hard work and a good dunk.

Based on what we've seen from Griffin so far, it was worth every minute of the wait.

Clippers fans have been waiting a long time for something to cheer about. When the story came out about much maligned owner Donald Sterling's heckling of his own players, it reminded fans about just how dysfunctional the Clippers organization is— that is, until Blake went insane on the basketball court, flying and jumping over anyone who dare try and guard him.

What makes Griffin so good? Aren't rookies supposed to occasionally dazzle but continuously do things that challenge their head coaches patience? Don't they typically have a huge learning curve?

Griffin isn't completely at his ceiling yet, but isn't that a scary concept? What is Griffin's ceiling if a 23 and 13 a night as a rookie isn't it?

Here's three things that make Griffin a complete headache for every opposing team.

3. Toughness

Griffin may dunk with a finesse we haven't seen from a big man in a long time, but his game isn't based on finesse. It's his toughness while still looking graceful that makes him hard to handle.

He is as rugged as any big man in the league, but he combines that with profound athletic ability while being tough enough to get down and dirty in the trenches when he needs to.

Lamar Odom got a crash course in Griffinology in a recent loss to the Clippers, where he was so frustrated by the relentless Griffin that he wanted a fight by the end of the 4th quarter.

Even though Griffin smartly backed away, based on Odom's history of being soft and the tough, aggressive nature of Griffin that would've been a gross mismatch.

Something like Chuck Liddell vs. Chris Bosh.

2. Quickness

Griffin can get off of the floor twice faster than some players do once.

He's that quick, and other players don't match up with him very well considering his size and strength. Griffin is not a point or shooting guard, or even a small forward.

You would expect his kind of quickness out of those positions, but not a power forward.

Antawn Jamison, in his prime, made a career of getting off the floor multiple times before opposing players, but he was no where close to as athletic or strong as Griffin.

If Griffin develops a consistent 14-18 foot jump shot, his averages may balloon to around 30 ppg. Don't be surprised if Griffin starts blowing past players like Dwyane Wade.

With his quickness and strength, he already is.

1. Versatility

What separates a player like Griffin from someone like Tim Duncan?

Versatility.

Duncan is one of the, if not the, best power forwards of all-time, so this takes nothing away from the future Hall of Famer. Griffin's athleticism, however, makes him far more versatile than the average big man.

He's quickly developing a bank-shot similar to Duncan's, as mentioned earlier, and can get around opposing defenders before they can say "Timmy!"

His arsenal of shots around the basket are both confusing and nearly impossible to guard for defenders, and makes him the fan favorite when combined with with his quickness and toughness.

Clippers fans finally have something to cheer for besides bad trades, horrible draft picks, and overall bad management.

Hopefully, Clipperland doesn't destroy another amazing young star and can win some more games with a decent running mate in Eric Gordon.

If not, get him out of there!

The Clippers are playing better for now, and Griffin is the most exciting draw in the league. When you hear that Griffin is playing, be sure to watch the nightly Sportscenter: he will surely be a part of some awesome highlight.

Just don't blink, or you may have to hear about it from your friends and be left searching You Tube.