Blake Griffin will obviously need time to find top form and improve his conditioning, but after the Los Angeles Clippers’ win against the Washington Wizards, he said he “feels great”.
The Los Angeles Clippers finally have Blake Griffin back, giving them one of the most talented and versatile big men in the NBA as they look to find their potential with a complete squad before the playoffs. Regardless of the limited playing time he’ll receive over the last six games of the regular season, his return will make an immediate impact.
In his first game on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, the Clippers enjoyed a 114-109 victory as they held off a late comeback effort. Griffin played a conservative 24 minutes and 30 seconds, which is the expected amount Doc Rivers should give him for the time being as he eases back with damaged conditioning and a partial quadriceps tear that still persists.
It was clear that Griffin wasn’t at his physical best, and there’s obviously no way he could be after missing so much time. From reduced stamina to simple plays on court, such as catching the ball in the post or executing certain offensive sets, you could see he’ll need each of the six remaining games to get in shape for the playoffs.
However, Robert Morales of the Los Angeles News Group reported a comment from Doc, who relayed that Griffin said he felt great the morning after the win.
Doc Rivers says @blakegriffin32 "feels great" the morning after #clippers
— Robert Morales (@RMoralesPT) April 4, 2016
After making a comment about the alley-oop dunk that gave him his first score after three months out, Griffin said he hoped for the first time that Chris Paul wouldn’t throw the pass too high (per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times):
"“I just remember it was the first time thinking, ‘Please don’t throw it too high,’ Griffin said, alluding to the effects of not playing for the Clippers for more than three months. “Normally, I’m ready to go for those.”"
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So, bearing in mind the stress of playing again with the partial tear and lowered stamina, it’s nothing but encouraging for the Clippers that Griffin felt great the next day with no lingering effects of the game. And as he continues to find his form, the hesitant thoughts in the back of his mind will soon disappear as he throws down lobs with just as much authority as always.
And even during the first few games in which he isn’t quite scoring and rebounding at the same rate as usual, he can make an instant impact with his passing. Thanks to the way he can serve as the central point of the offense from the post or facilitate from the top of the key, sending passes to cutters or running hand-offs for J.J. Redick, his return in this regard will make a huge difference for the previously small-ball Clippers.
Next: 5 key takeaways from Blake Griffin's return
If Griffin feels as good as possible physically and mentally, that’s all the encouragement Clippers Nation needs when bearing in mind what state he’ll be in for the playoffs. Now, it’s just a short matter of time to see how that continues to translate onto the court in the final days of the regular season.