Amick: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul become equals for Clippers

Post #1 » by **mkwest** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:17 am

Blake Griffin, Chris Paul become equals for Clippers

"It was about patience (for Griffin), to take that new (Doc Rivers-led) coaching staff, let them teach you, and learn from it, and go in every day," Griffin's business manager, Lorne Clark, told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. "Get shots up, do those things. A lot of working with those guys, and they'd say, 'These are the positions we're going to put you in. Let's work on that face-up.' It's just having the confidence to go by people and (knowing that) you're unstoppable if you do this."

"Every year (the relationship with Paul) has evolved," Griffin said Tuesday. "You can't expect two guys who have never played together before to just come in and just right away be the best of teammates and understand everything that they're doing. It takes time.

"You figure out ways to make things work every year…I think last summer was big, because we spent a lot of time together — not just (in Los Angeles) but also in China, doing tours (for their shared Jordan brand) over there. We went to (Las) Vegas — we worked out in Vegas a little bit. Little things like that helps build the relationship."

Building a house that's geared toward greatness didn't hurt, either.

When Griffin made the move from Manhattan Beach inland to Brentwood in 2012, he made sure his work day didn't have to end when he got home. He had a workout gym built on the property, then informed his personal trainer, Robbie Davis, that trips to the house for weight work and flexibility drills would become their norm. His place is equipped for rehabilitation work and treatment on his latest ailment as well.

"He has structured his life around this," Clark said.

Sam Amick, USA Today

Ranma · Post #2 » by **Ranma** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:01 am

Sam Amick, USA Today (4/22/14)

Chris Paul was the one who took this program to the next level when he arrived in Griffin's second season. Paul was the MVP candidate, the relentless competitor with the versatile game that is always a prerequisite to true relevance.

All of which made Monday night so fascinating.

As Paul sat with Griffin at the postgame podium, the team's two MVP-caliber players discussing a 138-98 Game 2 rout of the Golden State Warriors that was as good as bounce-back playoff wins get, the point guard was asked about his teammate who had avoided the foul trouble that plagued him in a Game 1 loss and turned in a dynamic 35-point night.

"Yeah, it looked like he didn't need me," Paul said with a smile.

Some four minutes later, as Paul clearly came to the conclusion that the dozens of media members at their shared news conference were only interested in speaking to Griffin, he left early with his young son. It was a fitting end to this night that was all about his rising co-star.

This isn't a long-term solution, of course. If the Clippers are going to survive these Warriors in the first round, then somehow get past whichever daunting Western Conference foe comes next and eventually win it all, it will take Griffin and Paul and Jamal Crawford and the rest of Doc Rivers' wildly-talented gang.

Blake Griffin finally ready to do it all for Clippers

Neddy · Post #3 » by **Neddy** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:11 am

as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

Ranma · Post #4 » by **Ranma** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:32 am

Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

Apparently, you're not alone with that sentiment.

Andrew Sharp, Grantland (4/22/14)

Now more than ever, the success of the Clippers depends on things that Chris Paul can’t control — Blake’s health, DeAndre’s free throws, the perimeter defense, etc. All this just proves how fickle and ridiculous these conversations can get.

But this is also how sports work. Especially basketball. Go back to the conversation Rivers and Paul had this summer. Winning in the playoffs is what defines the greatest players in NBA history. Watching them try is part of what makes the playoffs so much fun every year.

Now here we are, and after everything we’ve seen him do on bad teams in the playoffs over the years, the greatest point guard of this generation has his best team yet. Except this time it doesn’t actually matter that he has a psychotic will to win, or that he can take over games and turn into a superhero for quarters at a time. Paul will have to play great and hit big shots over the next few weeks, but none of it matters if Griffin’s not dominating.

Go back and compare this year’s team to last year’s team for proof. Or just look at the difference between Game 1 against the Warriors and Game 2, and you have a perfect snapshot of the bigger irony here. When all is said and done, it doesn’t matter how unbelievable CP3 can be in the playoffs. The person who defines how we remember Chris Paul is probably Blake Griffin.

The Clippers and the Chris Paul Paradox

Ranma · Post #5 » by **Ranma** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:40 am

J.A. Adande, ESPN (4/22/14)

This is a team in which the role players actually wish Griffin and Paul would take more shots. The Clippers feel they're better when that happens.
...

The Clippers tried having the other guys do it in Game 1. And they had a series-shifting loss to show for it. It means they're still up against it, forced to win at least one game in a hostile Oracle Arena if they are to prevail in this series.

Free of whistles, Griffin scores at will

Post #6 » by **QRich3** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 11:19 am

I've been convinced all year that, even with Blake's big jump, we'll go as far as Paul can take us. Watching Griffin evolve into an unstoppable prime-Shaq-like inside force makes me reconsider. But I still think that even if Blake gets the big numbers and is the force that bends opposing defenses all game long, when adversity comes and we need big buckets in big moments, we'll all be looking at Paul to save our asses.

At the end of the day, if we ever want to think about fighting for a championship we'll need them both at top capacity as well as the rest of the role players, and they all need to learn when and where to pick their spots. We'll need that big man / little man combination to work like Kobe and Shaq did during the threepeat, you can say whatever you want about who was more important than the other but neither could have won without the other, or without Horry and Fisher and Fox stepping up. We need to be a little like them, when it comes to sharing the ball and choosing when to step up.

To be honest I don't care if Crawford or Redick or whoever get randomly hot and pocket the finals MVP, as long as we get to win a championship sometime.

LACtdom · Post #7 » by **LACtdom** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:13 pm

Griffin has been sensational. I still think Paul is our mvp because at the end of the day when the game is on the line late in the 4th, his classic 'drive to the basket, draw a foul and then sink the layup' is still one of the best plays we have up our sleeves.

Quake Griffin · Post #8 » by **Quake Griffin** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:16 pm

Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

TheNewEra · Post #9 » by **TheNewEra** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:40 pm

We could use Paul stepping up on the road because role players tend to lose some luster.

azncorruptedo17 · Post #10 » by **azncorruptedo17** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:28 pm

Quake Griffin wrote:
Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

i'm pretty sure most if not all of us know that the only way for us to go anywhere is for blake to be #1... there's a reason why he's called up last when they do the starting line up announcements.... best for last.

Quake Griffin · Post #11 » by **Quake Griffin** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:43 pm

azncorruptedo17 wrote:
Quake Griffin wrote:
Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

i'm pretty sure most if not all of us know that the only way for us to go anywhere is for blake to be #1... there's a reason why he's called up last when they do the starting line up announcements.... best for last.

oh....thought that had to do with him being born a Clipper his entire career and Paul being a transplant.

azncorruptedo17 · Post #12 » by **azncorruptedo17** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:00 pm

Quake Griffin wrote:
azncorruptedo17 wrote:
Quake Griffin wrote:I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

i'm pretty sure most if not all of us know that the only way for us to go anywhere is for blake to be #1... there's a reason why he's called up last when they do the starting line up announcements.... best for last.

oh....thought that had to do with him being born a Clipper his entire career and Paul being a transplant.

no. it's actually mainly because blake is taller.

Post #13 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:43 am

I know this might be a little off topic, but the last two years in the playoffs both Blake and Chris wouldn't be dominate at the same time. Either Blake would have it going or Chris would. But now as we've seen from this year, especially after Chris's injury they can both be dominate. If they can both get around 25 a game in the playoffs I think we'll be in good shape. Then some of the roll players step up and have good games, this would be the recipe for winning a championship. (Along with playing great defense of course

)

Neddy · Post #14 » by **Neddy** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:47 am

Quake Griffin wrote:
Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

hey thanks for the complement, but let's just enjoy the ride.

how about lowering your aim? how is that going? :wink:

Quake Griffin · Post #15 » by **Quake Griffin** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:35 am

Neddy wrote:
Quake Griffin wrote:
Neddy wrote:as i have been saying, we need blake to be the #1 player on this team for us to take it to the next level. glad to see him becoming equal to CP3, now it's time for him to surpass CP and be the batman to CP3's robin-hood. only then we will become a perennial champions, aka dynasty.

I said this a month ago and someone here told me this WOULD NEVER happen.

which one of you?
i know Ned has the respect here....come out now and challenge him.

hey thanks for the complement, but let's just enjoy the ride.

how about lowering your aim? how is that going?

[a photo WAS here]

if you looked like that would you aim lower?
didn't think so.
8-)

realize i took a risk here....and i will delete photo soon...so please mess up the pic quote or something in ur response....if u respond.

Neddy · Post #16 » by **Neddy** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:50 am

Quake Griffin wrote:if you looked like that would you aim lower?
didn't think so.

realize i took a risk here....and i will delete photo soon...so please mess up the pic quote or something in ur response....if u respond.

hahaha great stuff my man, but remember, no matter how good looking of a stud you are or you think you are, you are a black man in WISCONSIN!!!! in LA, you maybe all that, in San Francisco or New York, you maybe a hot stuff, but in WISCONSIN, you are just another non-white man!!!!

I used to be considered a pretty good looking fella among asian girls and latinas, and some white girls who were into asian boys, both in California and Washington state, but in OREGON, I have been pulled over for looking too similar to a latino suspect as a bank robber!!!! no joke man, i was pulled in to my own parking lot of my own office by local cops for fitting the description. One cop came out of his driver side door with his right hand on his weapon, and the second cop in the passenger side had his weapon drawn and yelling to the other guy, "that's the guy! that's they guy!" I am 100% genetic Korean. and pretty tall and pale for a korean too. i can't imagine how i look latino. but this is OREGON, and that is WISCONSIN.

remember where you are before considering how or what you are! :wink:

Neddy · Post #17 » by **Neddy** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:55 am

BTW, it must be your mustache, you look like a young Apollo Creed to me lol

Post #18 » by **mkwest** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:18 am

TheNewEra wrote:We could use Paul stepping up on the road because role players tend to lose some luster.

The Superstars have to step up on the road. You can't rely on the role players away from home. They could very well have it going, but it's less likely than when they are at home. Star players have to be good wherever they play. We're going to need BG and CP to bring their A game. I haven't checked in some time, but CP's stats were better on the road, while everyone else saw theirs drop a little. Dudley is a prime example. This guy has shot great at home on the perimeter, but was in the 20's on the road.

Quake Griffin · Post #19 » by **Quake Griffin** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:56 pm

i don't think I can deal with Redick sucking on the road.

at least cash me out if your open....i don't expect him to go off like he did in game 1 or anything...but please use cash me out when your open.

btw...
this is our 1st time going into Oracle with our full squad?

mttwlsn16 · Post #20 » by **mttwlsn16** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:32 pm

Quake Griffin wrote:i don't think I can deal with Redick sucking on the road.

at least cash me out if your open....i don't expect him to go off like he did in game 1 or anything...but please use cash me out when your open.

btw...
this is our 1st time going into Oracle with our full squad?

Yup. Looking forward to it. 6 hours