Blake Griffin Tells Bleacher Report What His Dream Starting NBA Lineup Would Be

Take L.A. Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin, put him alongside Kobe Bryant and some of the more jaw-dropping talents in the league, and you have Griffin's ultimate starting lineup.

Griffin is not only one of the league's gravity-defying dunkers. He is an up-and-coming player in the league and one that continues to move himself up the ranks as one of the better power forwards in the NBA.

In his rookie season with the Clippers, Griffin was a significant factor in helping the team crawl out of a 1-12 hole to start the year, averaging a double-double by putting up 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

In this one-on-one interview with Bleacher Report, the second-year pro reveals what his dream starting lineup would be, as well as his take on the Chris Paul and Dwight Howard rumors.

PG: Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

As far as point guards go, Griffin went with New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul.

A solid selection to say the least.

Paul is considered one of the more talented point guards there are in the league. What makes Paul such a threat is his ability to score and create his own shots, as well as step back and get teammates looks in a half-court set.

Last season with the Hornets, the All-Star point guard averaged 15.9 points and 9.8 assists per game. During the postseason Paul's numbers would improve, averaging 22 points and 11.5 assists in a five-game series with the Lakers.

SG: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

Not to worry Kobe, you are the starting shooting guard on Blake Griffin's starting five.

Kobe Bryant is a slightly more controversial pick at the shooting guard position with players like Miami Heat two-guard Dwyane Wade, also as dominant a player as there is at the position.

Yet it is Bryant who is a veteran in the game, a five-time NBA champion that undoubtedly knows a thing or two about winning basketball games.

The future Hall-of-Famer will more than likely be alongside Blake Griffin in the 2012 All-Star game.

SF: LeBron James, Miami Heat

Despite the plethora of doubters Miami Heat small forward LeBron James has picked up after his especially poor showing in the 2011 NBA Finals, James is still a talent argued as the best there is in this league.

He is also the starting small forward on Blake Griffin's starting five.

LeBron James does it with his offense as well as his defense. James has made an effort to improve as a defensive player and has made significant strides in this area of his game since entering the league.

Offensively, James continues to prove his value time and time again. Despite averaging 26.7 points per game, his lowest average since his rookie season, this comes while playing alongside both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A guy putting up 26.7 points while playing with this caliber of scoring talent is hard to come by to say the least.

C: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

He can dunk a basketball while smacking his left hand 12 feet, six inches high on the backboard, take over free agency talks before becoming a free agent and play defense like none other.

He also makes Blake Griffin's list of top starting-five players to play alongside.

Dwight Howard has made a name for himself as the most dominant defender in the NBA, winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award the last three seasons.

Last season, Howard put up a whopping 22.9 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. His points per game average was a career-high, while the 14.1 rebounds are the second-most of his career (14.2 rpg in 2008).

Howard gives the Griffin starting five a solid backbone defensively that arguably has more to boast on the offensive than defensive end of the floor.

Blake Griffin Gives His Thoughts on Dwight Howard and CP3 Trade Rumors

The majority of recent trade talks surrounding point guard Chris Paul and center Dwight Howard have been in connection with a move to the L.A. Lakers.

But what about the other L.A. team? How about sending Paul and Howard to the Clippers?

According to the L.A. Times and several other sources such as ESPN.com, the Clippers are seen as one of the potential destinations for the two top-notch NBA talents.

Griffin said the move would be something special for the team, but regardless of whether or not the trade is made this remains a confident ball club.

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"Yeah, it would be unbelievable," Griffin said. But it has to make sense. It has to be right for both sides. Hopefully something happens but we’ll see what happens. Whatever team we have starting training camp is the one we’re gonna roll with. We believe in our guys. That’s kind of our mindset right now."

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Considering both Paul and Howard are both in Griffin's dream starting five, there is no question these are players that Griffin will welcome to the Clippers. Yet, whether the move goes down or not still remains to be seen, as contenders like the Lakers and Celtics have already taken their shots at the talents.

Follow Featured Columnist Luis Batlle on Twitter @lbatll1