Which Los Angeles Clipper Will See the Biggest Role Shift in 2014-15?: A philosophical shift in the Los Angeles Clippers offense has been building for years, and this season should be the one where the shift is complete. Blake Griffin is ready for an expanded role, one that should at least split offensive playmaking responsibilities with Chris Paul. This is no slight to Paul, who had his best season since 2008-09, averaging 19.1 points, 10.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game in 2013-14. Certainly he is capable of leading a dynamic offense, as he helped transform the Clippers into the highest-scoring offense in the league last season. However, when Paul was injured for a month last season, Griffin shined. From January 4 until February 7, Griffin dominated to the tune of 27.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shot 55.4 percent from the field, while leading the team to a 12-6 record. Griffin is absolutely ready for more responsibility on offense, but he also needs to take on a larger role defensively. The Clippers offense was elite last season, but it was the defense that failed in the playoffs, resulting in an epic blown Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and losing the series as a result. But in what ways will Griffin’s game expand on each end of the court? Griffin’s Role Shift: Offense Since Paul’s arrival three seasons ago, Griffin’s role on offense has been that of a second option. Griffin would consistently sprint the floor for duck-ins, run pick-and-rolls and, more recently, attack off the dribble from the perimeter. Paul was the driving force offensively, holding the ball, directing traffic and consistently setting his teammates up for scoring opportunities off his dribble penetration. Griffin mainly played off Paul’s moves; cutting, screening and hitting jumpers when Paul fed him. Paul was clearly the first scoring option despite his high assist rates. Things began to change last season once Paul injured his shoulder, missing a month of action. Griffin became the focal point of the offense, and Doc Rivers embraced this by speeding up the tempo and running the offense through him. ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz gave a great breakdown of Griffin’s play last season while Paul was injured: In this regard, Griffin has been a revelation over the past month, and with Paul out, he now occupies the focal point of the Clippers’ offense. The ball lands in Griffin’s hands earlier and more often, and the choreography rotates around him. His usage rate has skyrocketed over the past month -- 29.8 since Paul left the lineup, up from 26.9 prior to Paul’s injury. Applied to the full season, that number would trail only Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. It remains to be seen if the Clippers will play as fast as they did without Paul, but the offense will flow through Griffin more this season. Not only can he operate out of the low post, high post or attack off the dribble as well as any power forward in the league, but he also added the corner three to his arsenal. Griffin was already difficult to guard, but stretching defenders to the three-point line with his shooting will add a deadly new weapon to his repertoire. Expect to see Paul feeding Griffin on the wing plenty this season, as well as the offense working through Griffin at the elbow. Griffin’s Role Shift: Defense It seems like the main narrative surrounding the Clippers the last few years has been focused on the team defense. Taking one look at the coaching staff surrounding Rivers on the L.A. bench, that narrative still rings true. Mike Woodson, Lawrence Frank and Rivers are known to be defensive-oriented coaches. Rivers did not just go after the most talented coaches he could find to sit next to him this season, he had a purpose. That was to improve his team defense, starting in the paint with DeAndre Jordan and Griffin. Despite his immense offensive talents, Griffin has never been considered a good defender. He doesn’t exactly have the wingspan—6’11.25”—or size—6’10”—to be an elite defender, but Rivers wants a more consistent effort from his superstar power forward. In fact, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, Rivers has high expectations for Griffin’s defensive improvement: “He has the ability himself to be an all-defensive player, and I think he’s taking that to heart as well.” Last season, Rivers made a similar prediction about Jordan winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Rivers might be on to something, as Jordan finished third in the voting. Per Woikes article, Jordan also sees improvement ahead for Griffin. This is definitely the most I feel like Blake’s talked on the floor, Jordan said. …People follow his lead, but when he says something, people really listen because he rarely talks when he’s playing. He’s taken that leadership role. Griffin began expanding his role defensively last season, as he took on the burden of guarding players such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James to test himself. That type of effort is what can help the Clippers escape the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. While Rivers might never ask Griffin to be a defensive stopper, both know that their championship aspirations cannot be hinged to outscoring opponents. According to NBA, the Clippers net offensive-defensive rating was 1.1 last postseason. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs posted an astounding 11.6 rating. Defense wins in the postseason, and the Clippers need Griffin on board defensively to do so. Overall, expect Griffin’s role to increase significantly this season. Paul will share the playmaking duties with him, but the offense should be tailored to fit both players’ strengths. Griffin will be allowed to handle the ball more, and Rivers has been attempting to increase tempo and push the ball ahead to get Griffin more possessions. Furthermore, Rivers added players such as Spencer Hawes and Jordan Farmar to further improve the team’s floor spacing. Both players are good three-point shooters, which will complement Paul and Griffin’s strengths. Expect to see Griffin’s usage and role on both ends of the floor expand, in what could become an MVP-caliber season. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #NBA #NBAPacific #LosAngelesClippers #LosAngeles #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:18:41 +0000
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