"From the outside looking in, a spectator -- or somebody who doesn't come to the games or doesn't really watch them -- might think that I'd be down on this year, but I'm not at all," he said. "Our team, from last year to this year, is so much different. Obviously by our record, we've won [36 games now], and we won 32 in an 82-game season last year, so I've found out that it's easier to score and it's easier to do that stuff on a team that's not as good and when you're not playing in games like these.
"Last year, a lot of games were out of hand and it's different. As far as being efficient, as far as the number of shots taken, and having the ball in my hands, it's all changed. So I don't look at this year and say, 'Man, I haven't done this or haven't done that.' I'll let other people do all that.""It was all dunks and overpowering people before, and now he's gotten to the point where he can use a jump hook and he has better footwork in the post," he said. "It's something where I think this summer -- if he's not on the Olympic team [Griffin is one of 20 finalists] -- then he really needs to spend time going to Hakeem Olajuwon. The fact of the matter is that everybody who has gone to him, their game has improved. I think that's a step in the right direction that he has to make."Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, of all people, has noticed Griffin's growth.
"It's just his second year but I do see him getting better," said Perkins, the victim of one of Griffin's most memorable dunks, on Jan. 30. "He used to be all dunks, but now he's developing a real game. He's starting to get a 15-footer, and the thing I'm impressed with him about is he actually started playing defense better.
"If you watch his pick-and-roll defense, I see him making an effort to help where last year I didn't see that. I see him getting better.""We got on the court together in San Antonio [on March 9], and I tried to talk to him about footwork," Paul said. "That's the thing that can separate you from a lot of players. The other thing is bringing it on both ends. That's the way you really become a competitor, when you get mad that people score on you.
"He's working on it. This is a tough season, and we don't get much practice time. But I'm glad that he's on my team, I'll tell you that much."
Sam Amick, Sports Illustrated
The whole article is very much worth the read.
I've been wanting both he and DJ to pay Olajuwon a visit. I think it would be huge for the development and progression in both of their careers.
