Blake Griffin still has love for the LA Clippers and predicts the NBA Finals.
The LA Clippers wouldn’t be where they are today without having drafted Blake Griffin. His addition to the team changed the outlook of the franchise, legitimizing them into a must-watch team, a playoff contender, and now, finally, a championship contender. Clipper Nation knows this. Apparently, Blake does too.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Blake Griffin acknowledged that while the current iteration of the Clippers is far different from when he was in Los Angeles, he feels like he had a hand in laying the foundation for them to get here.
"I feel like they didn’t really have a lag in between. They’re a different team, but as a member of those teams, our goal is to legitimize the Clippers and be in the playoff hunt every year. I think we take pride in knowing that we laid that foundation."
Griffin, alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, helped make the Clippers a team worth taking seriously. Although their Lob City teams ultimately fell short, their constant presence in the playoffs (and the removal of Donald Sterling) helped make the Clippers not just the little brother in LA. Instead, they began to be seen as a potential destination for players who may not want to go the traditional route of joining the Lakers.
Speaking of the Lakers, Blake sees them matching up against the Clippers in the Western Conference Finals.
"Out of the West, it’s gotta be Lakers or Clippers, and in the East, the Bucks. We haven’t even really seen a good head-to-head Lakers-Clippers game. I feel like the first game, no Lou Will, he’s such a big piece, and Montrezl [Harrell] too. It’ll be fun to see those two teams."
Blake is fully aware that the regular-season matchups between the Lakers and Clippers weren’t 100% all-out games and that a series between the two could be a sight to behold. He obviously watched the most recent game which kicked off bubble play and recognized that while the Clippers held their own, they were without two of their most important players.
After seeming (understandably) bitter about being traded by LA, it’s good to know that Blake still has a little bit of a soft spot for the LA Clippers. Could we perhaps see him return to the team in two years when his contract is up? I would say it’s not likely. Still, with these comments, it doesn’t sound like that door is completely shut either.