While Blake’s brother attempts to land a National Basketball League job, Blake is voted to be the future Rookie of the Year by ESPN online. The Clippers are so fired up about Blake Griffin that they fired the human black hole, Zach Randolph. Even though it is hard to criticize any former Michigan State Spartans, Zach rarely gives back a pass to him in the post, even if he is double teamed.

(Full Disclosure: Your intrepid author is a Michigan State Spartan Alumni. Go Tom Izzo.)

The Clippers now can give Blake all the playing time he needs to develop into the star player many think he will become down the road.

Blake is so happy to hear he was voted pre season ROY

While the Clippers’ trade of Zach Randolph cleared the way for Griffin to step right in and get minutes, their new power forward has some history working against him: (1) only two of the past 10 No. 1 picks have won Rookie of the Year, and (2) no Clipper has ever won the award, despite the franchise’s near-permanent residence in Lotteryland. (The Buffalo Braves, the original incarnation of the Clips, did have back-to-back winners in 1973 and 1974: Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio.)

Those tendencies notwithstanding, most of our voters believe Griffin’s dominance at Oklahoma will translate into success in L.A.
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If Blake became even half as good as either Bob McAdoo or Ernie DiGregorio, the Clippers would be more than happy. Both players were stars in the NBA.

Other players in the running for the award include Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Jonny Flynn, and Stephen Curry. Keep in mind, not a single NBA game has been played yet. These votes were largely based on reputation and summer league. Once the season does begin many more factors will play into the ROY vote, including amount of playing time granted and injuries.

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Your intrepid writer is a huge Detroit Lions fan and always has been. So if you want to understand goofy general manager moves, bad owners, terrible seasons, and the lack of good players, you might call me an expert.

The Clippers are bad and have been bad for as long as Donald Sterling has been the owner for over 20 years. Wonder if they are thinking of hiring former Detroit Lion GM Matt Millen. He could ramp up there terribleness.

Then along came the NBA draft of 2009 and the Clippers did a most un-Clipper like thing. They drafted a guy that can not only play, but cares about the game. Huh?

Blake Griffin will not lay down on the job

If Blake Griffin stays with the Clippers they could actually be a playoff contender. Let us not jump to NBA title contender while Sterling is still the owner.

When the Clippers won the draft lottery and selected Griffin with the top pick, I didn’t think this one would turn out any different. It would be just the Clippers’ luck to go first in what’s viewed as a weak draft. They never get this chance when there’s a Shaq or a LeBron to be had.
If Blake Griffin can rise into stardom in L.A., it could be a healthy antidote to the Kandi Man.
Then I saw Griffin flying around the court in a summer league game against Memphis, soaring over everyone in the paint to throw down a tip dunk, running down an opponent to pin his shot against the backboard. The fact that it came while the No. 2 pick, Memphis’ Hasheem Thabeet, was turning in an Olowokandian performance and disappearing for stretches made it even more jarring. For once, the Clippers wound up with the player you’d want if you had the choice. This wasn’t Lancaster Gordon instead of John Stockton, or Yaroslav Korolev instead of Danny Granger.

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One wonders how Sterling can screw this up and if Sterling will buy the Detroit Lions from the Ford family?

Anyway, just the fact that fans are thinking Blake Griffin can deliver the playoffs to Clipper land makes him the greatest Clipper ever!

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Post from: NBA Obsessed

Ok, the word is not supposed to be heck. It is really a place where bad people go and it is really hot. Actually in Dante’s version it was really cold. Anyway, Blake Griffin is going there.

Yes, the San Diego, er Los Angeles Clippers, one of the most confused franchises run by an often cheap owner have the number one pick and they plan on taking Blake Griffin. You swear this team could pick up Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and still find a way to screw it up.

Blake Griffin to the Clippers

As you may have guessed there is no love lost for the Clippers right here.

“The pick’s not going anywhere,” assistant general manager Neil Olshey said Monday.
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Hopefully they are not discussing Blake’s career with the Clippers as being a failure before it starts!

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Clyde Drexler played on the great Portland teams with Kevin Duckworth

Kevin “Duck” Duckworth was found dead at the age of 44. Much too young to die. Cause is yet to be determined, but foul play has been ruled out.

Duckworth played on some great Portland Trailblazer teams with Terry Porter bombing from the outside and driving to the hoop, Buck Williams providing the upfront muscle, Jerome Kersey floating around the paint with mid range shooting and drives to the basket, and, of course, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler exploding to the hoop for another slamma jamma.

Kevin Duckworth was drafted by San Antonio, and then played most of his career with Portland. He also had stints with the Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of his career.

Duck was the big man inside. He was the easy going big guy and got the job done.

“Within the world of basketball, within those Trail Blazers teams, he was a jokester,” said Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter, who played with Duckworth. “He was a big loving teddy bear. At times guys got frustrated because he didn’t have a mean streak. He was just a great guy. He loved the team atmosphere, loved being a teammate in those successful Blazer teams.”

The 7-foot Duckworth averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over 11 seasons in the NBA, helping Portland reach the NBA finals in 1990 and 1992. The two-time All-Star also played for San Antonio, Washington, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers.

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