2009 NBA Draft
Selections: Blake Griffin (1st)
Notable players still available: N/A
A year removed from their best draft in years, the Clippers struck gold again when the first overall pick fell into their hands. They had no doubt that Blake Griffin was the player for them, so they selected him in a move that restored hope in the Clipper faithful.
Some of that hope was lost when Griffin suffered a season-ending injury before he made his regular season debut. It was seemingly the most-Clippers-thing that could’ve happened, and once again fans began looking ahead to the draft.
Griffin bounced back the following year, and in his “rookie” season, he averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds en route to being named an All-Star and the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
No player has had as great an impact on the Clippers as Griffin has, and he’s been the face of the franchise ever since he was drafted. Despite all of his injuries, there’s no denying that drafting Griffin was the best decision the Clippers’ front office ever made.