In the Clippers’ last preseason game, Griffin came down hard on his knee. Further tests show that he actually broke his kneecap. Originally diagnosed with a mild injury, this news has to be heartbreaking for both Griffin and the Clippers.

During preseason, Griffin was averaging 13.7 points and more than eight rebounds per contest. Although he’s a young player with a lot to learn, he was expected to make an impact from the first game of the season.

Now without Griffin, the Clippers find themselves in a familiar position — a position that consists of low expectations, disappointment and sadness.

Blake Griffin Injury Info (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Blake Griffin Out Up to Six Weeks

The 6-foot-7 forward will be transitioning to playing out on the perimeter in the NBA. During summer league, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.0 assists per game. Last year playing with his brother on the Oklahoma Sooners, he averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.

While the Suns might like his talent, there is also financial motivation for this move. Since he’s a second round pick, they can sign him to the smallest deal allowable in the NBA. With the luxury tax looming, saving every possible penny is good news for Phoenix.

Expect this Griffin to be playing in Iowa for at least part of the season so that the Suns can get a look at him in the NBA D-League. If he can improve his outside shooting and his ballhandling, he may eventually be known for something other than being Blake Griffin’s older brother.

Taylor Griffin and Blake Griffin (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Suns Sign the Other Griffin

I might be jumping the gun a bit with Blake Griffin. The guy is a beast, an overall talent that is sure to make an impact in the NBA. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft was told late last month to rest his strained right shoulder for three to four weeks. Though he’s losing out on practice time, the L.A. Clippers don’t believe the injury will inhibit Griffin once the season starts.

Tyler Hansbrough on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. He’s been spotted wearing  a large black walking boot to protect a right shin injury that could keep him sidelined at the start of training camp. Hansbrough was the Indiana Pacers‘ top pick in the draft, and the team hopes that he will recover in the next two months. The injury was sustained sometime in the spring, while Hansbrough was leading North Carolina to the NCAA championship.

Injuries can be potentionally harmful for any rookie’s development as a player. Griffin has the capability of coming back strong from his shoulder injury. But Hansbrough has much more to prove, especially since many analysts predict that he will have a hard time transitioning to the NBA.

Hansbrough Highlights:

Griffin Highlights:

Videos: Youtube

Post from: EveryJoe

Top NBA Rookies Already Have Injuries

Griffin was the easiest pick in the draft. With the Oklahoma Sooners, Griffin was hands down the best player in college basketball. He averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season as a sophomore. He also shot 65.4% from the field and blocked 1.2 shots in 33.3 minutes per game.

With the Clippers, expect Griffin to play at power forward. While it may take some time for his offensive numbers to come around, he should be a very good rebounder right away for L.A.

The Clippers made room for Griffin’s spot in the starting lineup earlier in the offseason when they traded Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies. Other bigmen on the Los Angeles’ roster include veterans Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman.

While few are expecting the Clippers to make noise in the 2009-2010 NBA season, there’s definitely a chance for the team to surprise as long as Griffin is as good as billed.

Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Blake Griffin Signs with the Clippers

First Round

1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma

2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut

3) Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden, G, Arizona State

4) Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis

5) Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, G, Spain

6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse

7) Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson

8) New York Knicks: Jordan Hill, F, Arizona

9) Toronto Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G, USC

10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, G, Italy

11) New Jersey Nets: Terrence Williams, G, Louisville

12) Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, G, Duke

13) Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansborough, F, North Carolina

14) Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark, F, Louisville

15) Detroit Pistons: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga

16) Chicago Bulls: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA

18) Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson, G, North Carolina

19) Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest

20) Utah Jazz: Eric Maynor, G, Virginia Commonwealth

21) New Orleans Hornets: Darren Collison, G, UCLA

22) Portland Trailblazers: Victor Claver, F, Spain

23) Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi, F, Israel

24) Oklahoma City Thunder: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State

25) Dallas Mavericks: Rodrique Beaubois, G, Guadeloupe

26) Chicago Bulls: Taj Gibson, F, USC

27) Memphis Grizzlies: DeMarre Carroll, F, Missouri

28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Wayne Ellington, G, North Carolina

29) New York Knicks: Toney Douglas, G, FSU

30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Christian Eyenga, G-F, Congo

Second Round

31) Portland Trail Blazers: Jeff Pendergraph, F, Arizona State

32) Washington Wizards: Jermaine Taylor, G, UCF traded to Rockets

33) Portland Trailblazers: Dante Cunningham, F, Villanova

34) Denver Nuggets: Sergio Llull, F, Spain

35) Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Summers, F, Georgetown

36) Memphis Grizzlies: Sam Young, F, Pittsburgh

37) San Antonio Spurs: DeJuan Blair, F, Pittsburgh

38) Sacramento Kings: Jon Brockman, F, Washington

39) Detroit Pistons: Jonas Jerebko, F, Sweden

40) Charlotte Bobcats: Derrick Brown, F, Xavier

41) Milwaukee Bucks: Jodie Meeks, G, Kentucky

42) Miami Heat: Patrick Beverley, G, Ukraine

43) New Orleans Hornets: Marcus Thornton, G, LSU

44) Houston Rockets: Chase Budinger, F, Arizona

45) Minnesota Timberwolves: Nick Calathes, G, Florida

46) Cleveland Cavaliers: Danny Green, F, North Carolina

47) Minnesota Timberwolves: Henk Norel, F, Netherlands

48) Phoenix Suns: Taylor Griffin, F, Oklahoma

49) Atlanta Hawks: Sergey Gladyr, G, Serbia

50) Utah Jazz: Goran Suton, C, Michigan State

51) San Antonio Spurs: Jack McClinton, G, Miami

52) Indiana Pacers: A.J. Price, G, Connecticut

53) San Antonio Spurs: Nando De Colo, G, France

54) Oklahoma City Thunder: Robert Vaden, G, UAB

55) Portland Trailblazers: Patrick Mills, G, St. Mary’s

56) Dallas Mavericks: Ahmad Nivins, F, St. Joe’s

57) Phoenix Suns: Emir Preldzic, F, Bosnia

58) Boston Celtics: Lester Hudson, G, Tennessee-Martin

59) Los Angeles Lakers: Chinemelu Elonu, F-C, Texas A&M

60) Miami Heat: Robert Dozier, F, Memphis

James Harden Ended up with the Thunder (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 NBA Draft Results – 1st and 2nd Rounds

The fact that Michael Jackson passed away yesterday was beyond surreal. Add in Farrah Faucet and you’ve got a double-whammy.  Then Shaq gets traded to Cleveland to team up with Lebron for what seems to be a destined championship run in 2010.

The 2009 NBA Draft class was not as strong as in previous years, but definitely offered some surprises.

What else happened on draft night?

Here’s a brief recap for your viewing pleasure:

• Richard Jefferson was traded to San Antonio.

• Blake Griffin was the number one pick in the ’09 draft.

• Tyler Hansbrough went to the Indiana Pacers.

• Golden State stole Stephen Curry from the New York Knicks.

• Brandon Jennings’ short stint in Europe paid off — he was able to gain more experience playing professionally overseas than he would have gotten playing in college. As a result, he was drafted 10th overall.

• Ricky Rubio sank in the draft and ended up going to Minnesota (along with Johnny Flynn for double the point guard fun).

Post from: EveryJoe

A Brief Recap Of The 2009 NBA Draft

Short of creating a mock draft, I listed which players I personally think rank in the top ten as far as prospects go. I think they are the cream of the draft crop. Whether or not NBA scouts agree with me is another question.

Lyndsey’s Top Ten 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

Blake Griffin will most likely be the number one pick in this year's NBA draft.

1. Blake Griffin (F/C) — If he doesn’t go number one I’ll be dumbfounded. He’s got the size, skill, quickness and innate athletic talent to make an immediate impact.

2. Hasheem Thabeet (C) — Can you say Dikembe Mutombo? The only different is that I think Thabeet is much more than a rebounding/shot-blocking machine.

3. Ricky Rubio (PG) — This kid, and I stress kid, is talented. I’m excited to see what he can do in the NBA.

4. Ty Lawson (PG) — He was the difference maker in UNC’s Championship season. I don’t think they would have won the NCAA Tournament without him. He’s smart, quick and has the upper body strength to compete in the NBA.

5. Stephen Curry (G) — Curry is probably a mid-to-late first round pick.
But I believe he has the talent to develop into a an amazing player. He’s got to put on a few pounds first though.

6. James Harden (SG) — Great shooter, def. an asset to any team.

7. Tyler Hansbrough (F/C) — I know a lot of people think Tyler is going to be like Christian Laettner … great college career,  not so great in the NBA.  I think Tyler has the drive to work hard and improve at the NBA level. Besides, Laettner may not have been an all-star caliber player but he lasted 13 seasons, which isn’t too shabby.

8. Jeff Teague (G) — Great offensive presence. He’s smart and he’s a scorer. He needs to work on his defense a bit.

9. Jordan Hill  (F/C)— Considered one of the most improved college players since last year. He averaged a double/double for most of the season.

10. Brandon Jennings (PG) — Went to Italy last season because he couldn’t jump right to the NBA due to the age regulation. While he hasn’t made a huge splash overseas, he has the potential to be a big time player here at home with his athleticism and size.

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Lyndsey’s Top Ten 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

There was hardly a blink of an eye when Hasheem Thabeet, Ty Lawson and Blake Griffin — for example — announced that they were entering the 2009 NBA Draft.

UCONN Center Hasheem Thabeet hired an agent as is more than ready for the NBA.

But players like Eric Devendorf and Roderick Flemings (Hawaii … I know …) make us scratch our heads and say, “Huh?”

The NBA Draft is a tricky thing. It’s like Forrest Gump and his box o’ chocolates — “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

The following is a list of underclassmen who have decided to “test” out the NBA Draft. Some have hired an agent, others have not.

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Who’s Testing The NBA Draft?

Blake Griffin 2009 NBA Draft (Image: Newscom)

A quick look at his stats and it’s understandable why NBA scouts are in love with the 6-foot-10, 245-pound native of Oklahoma. In 33.3 minutes per game, Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He also hit 65.4% of his shots from the field.

A fantastic athlete, Griffin has a chance to be a dominant bigman on the NBA level. For a player his size, he’s very nimble and has a varied skillset. Additionally, scouts think he can develop an outside jumper.

The NBA lottery will be conducted in May to determine which team will end up with the first overall picks. The teams with the best chance of landing Griffin with the top pick include the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Post from: EveryJoe

Blake Griffin Heading to the NBA

Here is a look at the top ten prospects for the 2009 NBA Draft:

Blake Griffin, 2009 NBA Draft (Image: Newscom)

1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

2. Jordan Hill, Arizona

3. Ricky Rubio, Spain

4. James Harden, Arizona State

5. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

6. Greg Monroe, Georgetown

7. Brandon Jennings, Lottomatica Roma

8. Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

9. Willie Warren, Oklahoma

10. Stephen Curry, Davidson

While the outlook of the 2009 NBA Draft is sure to change as draft day approaches, the one player who seems to be locked in his position is Blake Griffin. The bigman out of Oklahoma has shown the size, strength and athleticism to be a very good bigman on the NBA level.

Another intriguing story to follow is whether or not Ricky Rubio declares for the draft. He’s wowed scouts with his advanced play at a young age but there’s growing speculation that he will remain in Europe for at least another season.

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 NBA Draft – Early Look