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With Blake Griffin out, LA Clippers need to step up more than ever

By Andrew Miller

Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Los Angeles Clippers stand for the National Anthem prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Los Angeles Clippers stand for the National Anthem prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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The LA Clippers need to step up their game with Blake Griffin out for knee surgery, and Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan could push for new accolades in his absence.

Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The LA Clippers stand for the National Anthem prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The LA Clippers stand for the National Anthem prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

With Blake Griffin set to miss between three and six weeks to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, the LA Clippers find themselves in an all too familiar territory, once again without one of their star players.

First reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical, and later confirmed by Dan Woike of the Orange Country Register, Griffin will likely be out until mid-late January to have the minor procedure on his knee that has evidently been bothering him for a good part of the season.

After starting the season in a fiery blaze of success, the Clippers have managed just six wins in their last 12 games, with the most recent loss coming on Sunday against a lights-out Washington Wizards team. So, where do they go from here?

To their All-NBA First Team duo of Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.

Playing without Blake Griffin on the team is, unfortunately, something the Clippers have some experience with, as the former No. 1 pick missed 47 games in the regular season last year before returning for a short-lived playoff run.

Last year, Jordan really stepped up to the challenge, scoring career-highs in points per game (12.7), assists (1.2) and double-doubles (49), with Chris Paul also having his highest scoring output since his first season as a Clipper with 19.5 points.

But this year it’s a little different. First off, how the bench’s role will change.

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