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The Leadership of Blake Griffin Could Make or Break the LA Clippers

By Noah Shatzer

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 24: Austin Rivers
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 24: Austin Rivers /
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PLAYA VISTA, CA – JULY 18: The Los Angeles Clippers hold a press conference to announce the re-signing of Blake Griffin in Playa Vista, California on July 18, 2017 at Clippers Training Facility. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PLAYA VISTA, CA – JULY 18: The Los Angeles Clippers hold a press conference to announce the re-signing of Blake Griffin in Playa Vista, California on July 18, 2017 at Clippers Training Facility. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Off the Court:

Griffin has been no stranger to controversy over his NBA career off the court but has managed to stay out of any serious trouble other than the incident with the team’s equipment manager that all Clippers’ fans remember. But does Griffin have the mentality to become the leader of the Clippers’ with Chris Paul gone and be the guy who keeps the rest of the team in check? The Clippers’ roster for this upcoming season is youth-heavy, with Wes Johnson and Lou Williams being the only veterans over 30-years-old on the team. Neither of those players is exactly team leaders, so LA will look to the next few oldest players to become the anchors of their team off of the court.

The duo of Griffin and Jordan should be mature enough to lead the team and create the competitive fire that Chris Paul brought to the locker room, but if they need an extra spark, Patrick Beverley will be able to bring a ferocity to the team in his first season in LA. The Clippers’ will need Griffin, who has always appeared to be a laid-back type of player who enjoys doing stand up comedy in his free time, to harden up and become the leader that the team will need if they expect to contend for a playoff spot in the much-improved juggernaut that is the NBA’s Western Conference.

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