Blake Griffin is the next LeBron James?

[rayallen20]

It might not be just because of his dunks, but he plays very well aside from that too. He's quite athletic for a man his size and to add his quite decent amount of speed and quickness. He couldn't score as much points as Mr. LBJ but he could contribute well on the other little things and get like a double-double every night like 20pts and 10reb. Is he capable of being the next "King"? Maybe. Maybe not. So what do you think?

[|)e8*]

I doubt he can make 3's

[JaoSming]

yea, he could dominate the other big guys....but then he would essentially be another Dwight.

or, he could have another injury tomorrow....but then he would essentially be another Greg Oden.


it's his "rookie" year, he still has a LONG way to do. could be be the next LBJ? sure, but why couldnt it be Landry Fields?

[jenroe962002]

Blake Griffin is the next SUperman

[George7]

Landry Fields is the next Kobe Bryant, not LeBron James.

[Andrew]

I could see him becoming the next LeBron in terms of fan backlash; not the backlash from The Decision mind you, but the dislike for LeBron that seemed to flourish with a lot of people a few years into his career. For his rookie season he was the Next Big Thing and every dunk, every highlight move, his first triple double and any other noteworthy statistical achievement were applauded. When he wasn't picked for the 2004 ALl-Star game, there was some outrage.

Flash forward a couple of years and a lot of people are disgruntled at the hype and his presence in the highlight reels, particularly top ten countdowns. Similarly, there was a time when Dwyane Wade seemed to be pretty well-liked (or at least people found his play impressive and entertaining) before the 2006 Finals went down. All it takes is the NBA or sports media at large to hype someone a little too much or one or two controversial incidents and the backlash is on.

[jblued]

James and Griffin are not alike, James can handle the ball, be the facilitator and create his own shots off the dribble.
Griffin is just a finisher like howard, Stoudemire etc...

[Patr1ck]

I think if he doesn't learn how to balance his play intensity, his career may not last unless he keeps his body incredibly conditioned. A man of his size jumping that high and coming down hard is going to get some wear and tear fast. Hell, just look at last year. He broke his knee cap just from landing after a dunk. So, if he develops the other areas of his game other than the all-out physical effort, he won't be the next Lebron James, but the first Blake Griffin. With that said, his shooting/free throws, becoming a defensive stopper, not just a great rebounder, pacing himself throughout a season, and improving his knowledge of how the game of basketball is played will be key.

We have seen a lot of so-called phenoms or potential greats only to watch their stardom fade with their athleticism or a bad injury.

[Andrew]

James and Griffin are not alike, James can handle the ball, be the facilitator and create his own shots off the dribble.
Griffin is just a finisher like howard, Stoudemire etc...

I believe the original poster was referring more to his stature in basketball, being one of the superstars of the game and a dominant player in the league, rather than similarities in playing style.

[yosifun]

Next Amare maybe, not LeBron.

As far as highlight reel, the hype around him reminds me a lot of the hype surrounding VC early in his career. Like I said, as far as skill, he reminds me of Amare in his dominance in the paint. I hope all of this won't goes up to his head and he starts acting like a punk (a la LeShame).

Anyway, I see him and Love being the best PFs in the league a few years from now.

[Andrew]

Again, I think the comparison is more about dominance of the league and being a superstar player rather than playing style, since they definitely aren't similar players in that regard.

[yosifun]

I got your point Andrew.

Landry Fields is the next Kobe Bryant, not LeBron James.

[Stress Fracture]

Landry Fields is the next Kobe Bryant, not LeBron James.

[Alpha_]

Landry Fields is the next Kobe Bryant, not LeBron James.

Nope, he's the next MJ

[Cleveland wins]

No, Blake Griffin is not the next Lebron James, he will not take his talents to south beach.
But any way, i think Blake is more like Dwight Howard athletically.

[Triple J]

In my opinion ... Blake Griffin being the next LBJ is slim to none. Yes, he has the explosive dunks and layups, but the biggest thing he's missing is the hype when he first came him, a good mid-range jumper, three point shooting, and toughness (injury wise). When LBJ first came in, people thought he was like the messiah version of basketball. No one in the NBA came in the league with so much hype/expectations like LBJ. Because of those reasons, Blake Griffin would probably become a superstar in the near future. But even if he does become one, he would never be one like LBJ.

[Andrew]

The initial hype isn't really as important as the heights a player can reach and the way they're hyped/marketed when they get there. Michael Jordan didn't enter the league with as much fanfare as LeBron James, yet in the history of the league I would say he remains not only a superior player to LeBron but the bigger star as well. Kobe similarly wasn't hyped quite as much as LeBron, though he still had a fair bit of buzz given his potential coming out of high school and the fact that the high school to the pros route to the NBA was really coming into vogue.

Now, Blake Griffin is not Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, nor hyped quite as much as LeBron James was, but he's certainly capturing a lot of attention despite playing for a lottery bound team that's frequently the butt of jokes in the world of professional basketball and sports in general and could be a dominant player in the league in the not too distant future, filling up the highlight reels to boot. If he reaches that level, then whether or not he came into the league being touted as a once-in-a-generation type player doesn't really matter; he's going to be mentioned in the same breath as the other elite players and he's going to have that same hype.

[NovU]

Good point, Andrew. Doesn't matter where you start for sure.

I like this kid, but defense needs work. We'll also have to wait and see where he'll be in couple of years. Lebron changed the fate of the worst team into a serious contender all by himself. Despite Lebron failed to win it all, it's noteworthy he led what may have been a real crap team to the Finals once and playoffs each year. Also comparing Griffin to Duncan would be more appropriate due to the position. And it's still a no contest I'd say at least for now. Just look back at Duncan's career from day 1. He may not be getting all the attentions like Lebron, but I think Duncan will remain as the best power forward for a long time to come. We'll see how close Griffin will get in terms of fame and success.

[Mandich]

Blake Griffin is not Lebron James they don't play the same position. Blake is like a rich man's Shawn Kemp

[Andrew]

Again, the comparison isn't in their skillsets or playing styles, but rather the impact they have on the league.

[Mandich]

In that case I wouldn't call him Lebron yet, give him a little bit more time . .

[shadowgrin]

http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/ ... basketball

unlike some other highlight reel favorites, Griffin passes both the eye test and the numbers test, combining amazing athletic ability with a statistical résumé that has him on track to be one of the 10 best rookies of the past 30 years.

Putting it all together, Griffin projects to finish the season with 9.8 win shares, a mark that has been eclipsed by only eight rookies since 1979-80. (Win shares are an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player.)

Five of these players are in the Hall of Fame (David Robinson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Hakeem Olajuwon), two of them are locks to be selected when they are eligible (Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal), and the remaining one is on pace to be elected (Chris Paul).

Click the link to read the whole article and see some stat tables.

[Andrew]

Good company.

[Dan's Brain]

I think Blake will also abandon the team that drafted him, just with less consternation and uproar (cos it's the Clippers, who wouldn't leave?) and without the need for a prime-time special.

[Patr1ck]

Donald Sterling, the owner of the Clippers, will probably make Blake want to leave at some point.