Clippers’ Blake Griffin says he feels ‘a step behind’
By Tom West
After an effortless 103-81 win for the Los Angeles Clippers against the Lakers, Blake Griffin said he just needs to be patient to catch up from being “a step behind”.
It’s obviously not news that Blake Griffin isn’t at his best. Missing three months due to injury is the equivalent of losing an entire offseason, missing out on the chance to work on your game, stay in shape, and stay in form. That’s what Griffin has missed for the last few months, dealing with injuries across his body with a partial quadriceps tear that still persists and a broken hand that hindered his shooting.
On Sunday, Griffin made his highly anticipated return in a 114-109 win against the Washington Wizards, tallying six points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes. It was clear he wasn’t himself, but there were some confident plays and his passing presence in the post was a clear benefit. In his second game on Tuesday, the Clippers enjoyed a 103-81 blowout win against the Lakers, which saw Griffin contribute four points with 1-of-5 shooting, three rebounds, and three assists in 16 minutes.
Dan Woike of the Orange County Register has reported some of Griffin’s comments after the game against the hometown rivals. Unsurprisingly, the team’s star admitted to feeling a step behind, saying he just needs to be patient and find his rhythm:
"“I’m just trying not to forcing anything,” he said. “I’m not playing a lot of minutes either so, I’ve got find it somewhere. It’ll come, but I’ve just got to be patient…I think it’s just rhythm. Being out three months, that’s a summer. That’s almost a full offseason,” Griffin said. “It’s like coming into the first day of camp and everyone else has been playing at their peak for a long time. I’m just a step slow, a step behind, whatever you want to call it.”"
Of course, it’s not shocking to hear how Griffin feels after returning. Even though he said he felt great and was thrilled to be back the morning after facing the Wizards, his comments following the Lakers game simply highlight the problem the Clippers face.
They need time for Griffin, and there’s hardly any to go around.
There are only five games of the regular season left. If Doc Rivers plans to rest Griffin on the second night of back-to-backs, that leaves just three games for Griffin to catch up that extra step and find the rhythm that will allow him to be the triple-double threat he was in the playoffs last year.
Without putting too much gloom around Griffin’s tentativeness, lack of scoring, and conditioning, though, there are still some obvious positives to his return that can help the Clippers improve.
First and foremost, having a legitimate power forward in Griffin is an immediate help, as the small-ball experiment isn’t going to get the Clippers far in the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs or particularly the Golden State Warriors should they meet.
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As for Griffin’s rebounding, it will improve as his conditioning does, but it’s still an upgrade over an undersized wing such as Paul Pierce or Jeff Green.
It all comes down to timing for the Clippers. Perhaps if Griffin had a correct diagnosis and training plan for his quadriceps injury, he could have made an earlier return before the playoffs. However, that’s just a “what if” that can’t be answered and shouldn’t be dwelled over by the Clippers.
Instead, the team is going to have to settle for a lesser version of Griffin right now. He isn’t ready physically to play the heavy minutes he needs to, and he isn’t in the form to deliver at his best if he does play those kind of minutes.
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The end of the season is almost a waiting game for when he finds that extra step and finds his rhythm, and it’s a game the Clippers can’t afford to lose if they want to go past the second round. At least, in comparison to a year ago, the rest of the roster is in a better position to offer some support.