Blake Griffin: If He Couldn't Dunk, Would the L.A. Clipper Be An All-Star?
Allow me to start off by saying that dunking is a legitimate part of basketball. The dunk can be devastating to opposing teams, and is a huge part of Blake Griffin's repertoire and arsenal.
Does dunking, however, justify an NBA All-Star selection? After all, Griffin plays on the Los Angeles Clippers, who currently sport a record of 21-35.
Aside from Kevin Love, who is only an All-Star because of Yao Ming's injury, nobody on either the East nor West plays on a team with a losing record. So why is it that Griffin was selected in his quasi-rookie year to be an All-Star? There is a simple answer: dunking.
It is undeniable that all of Griffin's dunks (137, to be exact) have been spectacular, but dunking is the only reason he is an All-Star. His ceiling is very high, and he has the potential to be a force for years to come in the NBA, but it's a little too soon for him to be starring in the All-Star Game.
So now, if only for a minute (as if to not get upset at the thought), imagine that Blake Griffin was incapable of dunking. Every alley-oop that he has been on the receiving end of this year would magically transform into a layup. On fast breaks, instead of rocking the rims, he would lay the ball in gingerly.
It is most certainly weird to imagine, but if you are able to do so, it would be clear to you that Griffin is not yet worthy of being an All-Star.
Take, for example, LaMarcus Aldridge into consideration. The Portland Trail Blazers' big man is averaging career highs in all five main statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals), while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
Statistically, Griffin only has a real edge in rebounding, as the two have similar numbers otherwise across the board. Perhaps the most important stat when comparing the two is SportsCenter highlights. I'd gander that Griffin holds a slight (okay, not so slight) edge in that category.
Do highlights, however, justify Griffin's All-Star nod? Maybe he only should've participated in the Slam Dunk Contest as a reward for his spectacular play this season. That event is an event that celebrates individuals, and thus far in his NBA career, that is all Griffin can say he truly is.
Aldridge, on the contrary, is carrying an injury-depleted Portland Trail Blazers squad to a playoff position, sitting at 32-24, good for fifth in the ever-competitive Western Conference. His value to his team is immeasurable, and he scores much more quietly than Griffin.
Wins should be one of the most, if not the most, important number in determining All-Stars, and it is a travesty that Aldridge was unable to rock the fashionable "The West" jersey.
Blake Griffin is young, and as Charles Barkley pointed out, once he "learns the game," he will be one of the top players in the league, not just a highlight machine. As for now, though, he is solely meant to participate in Dunk Contests and feature in the SportsCenter Top Ten, not All-Star Games.
Blake will get to that level one day, but the dunk-factor gave him an unfair edge. I'm not saying that he deceived Western Conference coaches, but if LaMarcus Aldridge could throw down like Griffin, Rip City would have a representative in Los Angeles.
