Blake Griffin: Is the Next Great Los Angeles Clipper Already Overrated?

The sports world is unlike any other when it comes to having this constant need to immediately declare the next great player as the "best since ______."  Sportswriters probably love to do it more than just about anyone because it draws attention to their articles and often creates controversy. 

We also live in a world where information and opinions about sports are available 24/7 in a variety of formats.  Now factor in this incredible explosion of social media and you can hear that "so and so is the next this or that since whoever" on Facebook and Twitter before you get to hear about it again on ESPN 1, 2 and 3!

Which brings us to Blake Griffin.  We haven't seen a player dominate the highlights on ESPN like this since LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003.  He's everywhere you look, from the blogosphere to SportsCenter, from the LA Times to the...well, you get the picture.

So wait a minute, what's your point Mr. Sportswriter?  We all love Blake Griffin and his endless array of high-flying, acrobatic monster jams. We love the guys who play above the rim with a reckless abandon and seemingly no regard for the players who are on the ground looking up at the sky in awe.

And I agree with you. I love those guys too, they are ridiculously fun to watch. However, I think at this point, after having the Blake Show shoved down my throat non-stop since November, I can now legitimately ask the question: Should Blake Griffin already be considered overrated?  I say absolutely.

Don't get me wrong, I like Blake Griffin almost as much as the next guy.  He's already one of the best power forwards in the league, there's no denying that.  But is he really going to save the Clippers like everyone says he is?

That's a tall task for a guy who has to rely on others to get him the ball in spaces where he can elevate and dunk.  How many 6'10" power forwards have dominated the NBA by primarily dunking the ball?  It's no secret that Griffin's all-around offensive game is far from polished.  We also know that you certainly can't be a one-dimensional player in the NBA for very long before teams eventually figure out a way to slow you down.

Defensively, he leaves a lot to be desired. Blessed with outstanding leaping ability, he only averages .6 blocks per game to go along with .7 steals.  Add these numbers up and you get 1.3, which is equal to less than half of the amount of turnovers he commits at 2.7 per game.  This number represents the second-most turnovers in the entire league for power forwards only behind Amar'e Stoudemire.

By comparison, Stoudemire averages 2.2 blocks and 1 steal per game. When combined, this number is nearly equal to the amount of turnovers he commits.

It makes sense that a guy who attacks the rim so often goes to the foul line on a regular basis, as Griffin averages 8.7 free throw attempts per game.  The only problem is he makes just 5.3 of those attempts, good for 61.1 percent, which is just above Dwight Howard territory.  You can bet if the Clippers ever get to a point where they are actually playing meaningful games, a hack-a-Blake strategy will definitely be implemented by the opposing team.

Considering how much we hear about the Blake Show, it would be reasonable to assume that he has helped the Clippers in the win column.  However, when you take a look at the standings, it's the same old Clippers, sitting at 19-29, good for 13th in the West ahead of only Sacramento and Minnesota.  By comparison, the Clippers won 29 games last year without Blake and are on pace to win 32 games this year, not exactly a Tim Duncan to the Spurs type of an increase.

So, please excuse for holding off on anointing Mr. Griffin as one of the best players in the league today. Yes, he's great for the casual fan who tunes into SportsCenter to see the top 10 dunks of the night.  But in actuality, he is simply a good player right now, not a great one.  His team doesn't win, he doesn't really play defense, he's a turnover machine and he doesn't really have much of an offensive repertoire outside of dunking the basketball.

The great players in this league dominate the ball and don't have to rely on others to get it to them.  We all know who they are: Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Durant and Carmelo. So let's take it easy on all of the accolades we are so quick to bestow on Mr. Griffin, and see if he can at least begin to help the Clippers win some games.  Who knows, maybe he can dunk his way to 40 wins next season?  

In this age of information overload that we live in, I for one, am willing to wait and see...