NBA Preseason 2011: Blake Griffin and Top 5 Players We Can't Live Without
Even before Chris Paul blessed the Clippers with his presence, Blake Griffin had already injected the fanbase and the NBA with energy never before associated with the team.
His high-flying dunks over cars and Danilo Gallinari made his rookie season one basketball fans will always remember.
We already were anxiously awaiting his sophomore season, now with Chris Paul triggering "Lob City," as Griffin called it, we can't live without Blake.
Visual aid? Here is what makes the Gingerbread Man-Child indispensable in our NBA lives:
Dirk Nowitzki
Finally over the hump, shaking the soft, non-clutch moniker, Dirk's got swag and a championship. Nowitzki's career will now be placed in the proper perspective. He has changed the game and our expectations for a seven-footer and international player.
Since his game is not based on athletics and more on shooting ability and size, I don't expect to see Dirk hanging 'em up for at least five years. Lucky for us, we won't have to live without Dirk anytime soon.
In case you forgot, here is why we can't be without the greatest international player in NBA history:
Kevin Durant
Of any player that did one of the "Basketball Never Stops" Nike commercials, Durant's was the most believable. KD lives, sleeps and eats the game, and his passion is much appreciated.
For everyone that hates the big city personae of many NBA stars, KD is your hero.
Global talent with a local personality. Durant has delivered back-to-back scoring titles and according to the FPVR (Franchise Player Value Rating) he is already one of the greatest Sonics/Thunder of all time, and he's only 23 years old.
We can't go without Durantula. We need this is in our life:
He is the league's youngest MVP. He won't recruit other stars to come to his city, and he'll probably never leave. Chicago loves him—I can personally vouch for that—and other NBA cities should pray their collection of zip codes produces a star so dynamic and loyal.
D-Rose delivers the wow factor with the humility that seems best suited for a player like Andy Rautins. That is what makes him so endearing.
If the Bulls return to the promised land, it'll be on the shoulders of it's favorite homegrown son.
This is D-Rose on display. My apologies to Goran Dragic; you shouldn't have jumped:
Have you ever seen a great action movie that didn't have a villain? In order for the film to be really good, that villain needs to be formidable. They don't come more dangerous than James. Still, every villain has a tragic flaw that makes them vulnerable and beatable.
Fans enjoy hating the villain, but still there is something polarizing about them, it subsequently makes them more famous than the hero. That polarizing quality and the unequaled physical talent makes James a favorite of a smaller group of fans, like myself.
At some point, if and when the villain continues to ascend, he will pull the opposition over to his side. Unless, of course, they're in Cleveland.
Love him or hate him, you can't live without LeBron, and this is why:
((Parental Advisory, profane language in the following video))
I love Christmas.
