During Blake Griffin‘s first few seasons in the league, most, if not all, of his offensive production was a result of his insane athletic abilities, and for obvious reasons. He stood 6-feet-10 and a muscular 250 pounds with off-the-chart hops. It looked too easy at times for a guy capable of going through and sometimes over defenders on his way to the bucket.
All the credit should be given to Griffin, though, because he knew in order to last in the league he’d have to evolve. As he got older and the injuries began to pile up, that’s exactly what he did.
Even as he started dunking less, Griffin still had the size bully his way to the basket. He also continues to have an underrated ability to handle the basketball, creating the ultimate mismatch for players either too small or too weak.
Each year of his career, it seemed like Griffin continued to add another layer to his outside shot. He morphed from one of the best roll threats in the game to someone you could also run the pick-and-pop with as well. It got to the point where he was nearly unguardable below the free throw line because defenders had to respect every element of his offensive arsenal.
In over seven seasons with the Clippers, Griffin points per game average dipped below 20 just a single time. When on the court, the former No. 1 overall pick was as consistent as they come.
Griffin could have easily relied on his leaping ability and still probably would’ve been successful as a scorer. It does seem like there was a clear internal motivation that didn’t allow him to be satisfied. This would ultimately wind up as the biggest blessing of his career, helping him become less predictable and a better overall player.