Griffin Seems Stoked

19 May 2009

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…Though it’s entirely possible he’s just saying the right things. From Andy Katz of ESPN.com [hat tip: Timur Hammond]:

“They’ve got a lot of good players on that team,” Griffin said. “I’m hoping I can come in and learn from the older guys, help them out and move forward.”

Griffin should flourish running with Davis leading the break.

“Maybe I can fill a gap that they’ve had or been missing,” Griffin said. “I’m a versatile guy and can adapt to what they do. I can dribble a bit, pass, and working with more of a traditional center [in Kaman] will help. He’s done a great job since he’s been in the league, and hopefully we’ll work well together.”

Meanwhile, Neil Olshey confirms that Griffin is the target:

“After spending a lot of time and effort preparing for the possibility that we didn’t get the No. 1 pick, this now allows us a lot of clarity to take Blake Griffin,” said assistant general manager Neil Olshey. “It puts us at ease for the next six weeks.”

Victor

i love the clips but this isn’t going to fix us. we already have a logjam w/ kaman, camby, and randolph. so thabeet and griffin, although nice, can’t really help. and even B-diddy would shove rubio to bench oblivion or vice versa… there’s simply not enough playing time for any of the guys that would realistically be drafted. these guys have heavy contracts too–someone is going to get shafted. it just has to happen. stephon marbury, jamaal tinsley…one of these guys is gonna get it. maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll just get hurt and become worthless, but these guys are good healthy. my theory is that randolph will be talking a lot with the player’s union.

someone is going to get screwed. mark my words.
RTT

There needs to be some deals done, obviously. Like firing the coach…
Chris.

Griffin and Gordon together will be amazing as you said Kevin.

As for trade talk peeps have been suggesting with our frontcourt now, if we can do anything, ANYTHING, for Houston to do a sign and trade deal with Artest, we could go from the worst defensive team to a well-respected team (especially if we trade them Randolph and Thorton for Artest sign and trade). Or maybe we get lucky and Artest wants to sign here as a free agent because we’ve been after him for years!

Oh to dream for 6 weeks.
Charles

Griffin could be the guy to change the culture there. Hopefully the culture doesn’t change Griffin.

Read more about it here: http://therookiecontract.com/
jb_baby

Trade w/OKC – #1 pick + one of the following, Zack, Kaman, for their #3 pick + Jeff Green perhaps?
- Chris.
  
  that doesn’t work out money wise, Jeff Green doesn’t match up even close to Kaman or Randolph or Baron’s contracts, which will be the problem in trading the pick for any other of the bottom teams cause we have higher salary players. doh!
  Randolph – 2 more years, $16 million next year, $17.3 the final year.
  Davis – 4 more years, $12.15 million next year grows to $14.85 final year.
  Kaman – 3 more years, $10.4 million next year, $12.2 million final year.
  Not many teams have 3 salaries like that for more than 1 year that are worth dumping that other teams would want our guys in return. Our best trading chip is Camby, with his final year left at $7.65 million, but he’d also be a better teacher/mentor for Griffin than Randolph or Kaman by miles! Interesting road ahead, especially with Dunleavy knowing he’s going to have to win now or be out of 2 jobs (well, who knows if that will ever happen).
  
  It’s going to be hard for the Clips, because we want to get rid of Randolph, who plays the same position as what other teams want in Griffin. Camby is gone after next year so what would we be left with considering the bottom teams don’t have contracts that much up (neither OKC or Memphis).
  - Q.D.
    
    No deal, Green is an okay player, but to give up the #1 pick, Kaman and ZBo is a lot for a mediocre player. I’m not sure Green is a good player. He’s just an average player. No Deal
- http://www.firedunleavy.com FireDunleavy .com
  
  Yeah, money wise it doesn’t work. Dunleavy Jr and TJ Ford for Randolph and the pick might work.
  - Chris.
    
    lol, ahh, if history repeats itself that will be the trade made. nice one!
Mungo

I’m pretty relieved that Griffin is the target. The absolute worst thing we could have done would be taking Rubio. I’ve watched him play some games for Joventut this year……..damn, this guy is going to be the biggest let down since Darko.

Griffin does leave us with a logjam in the front court, but Camby is an obvious piece of trade bait and I’ll be very surprised if he starts the season for us. Randolph, unfortunately, we’re stuck with. It was a retarded trade at the time, and I’ll bet the Knicks were amazed that anyone would even consider taking that albatross of a contract off them. Still, we’ll live with his 20-10 and try to come up with creative ways of preventing him from killing us on defense, and at least when Griffin eases his way in to the team he’ll look like a well-rounded player in comparison.
Chris.

This sounds like a great trade to me: Camby for Kirch Hinrich straight up!
It help out Baron Davis for when he’s hurt or sucking and bad at defense and it gets us a good player for a couple years and solidifies our backcourt, while Griffin will help solidify our front court. Next stop, top SF wing player like Artest (hint hint) and we’d be great ‘hip2clip’ again!

Article from today’s Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Bulls could profit from Los Angeles Clippers draft position
Clippers get first pick, and already have glut of big men Bulls like

By K.C. Johnson | Tribune reporter
May 20, 2009
The Bulls sat out the NBA draft lottery for just the second time in 11 years, but that doesn’t mean Tuesday night’s proceedings didn’t have potential impact for them.

The Clippers, one of the NBA’s most woebegone franchises, vaulted from the third-best chance to win the lottery by cashing in their 17.7 percent chance at the No. 1 pick.

Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin is the presumptive No. 1 pick, which would make the Clippers’ glut of big men even more of an issue. While Zach Randolph’s contract is virtually impossible to move, the Bulls have had past interest in both Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby.

Camby has only one year remaining on a contract that will pay him 7.65 million next season. The Clippers’ reportedly have shown interest in Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich in the past. That straight-up trade works under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
- http://hitfix.com jockgroove
  
  If we can’t get rid of Z-Bo, I’d prefer to trade Kaman or Hinrich and keep Campy another year. Kaman is too injured and too much of a head case.
  - http://hitfix.com jockgroove
    
    Obviously I meant “for Hinrich.” And Hinrich would be a perfect fit. He can swing to the off guard, has been a good defender (at times) and can hit an outside shot here and there. Could be a great sixth man.
    - Chris.
      
      I’m down for Kaman for Hinrich, not sure if it fits financially cause Kaman’s salary keeps going up and Hinrich’s goes down every year, but it sounds good. I’d prefer to send Camby though because he is in the last year of his contract and he’s gonna be a goner after next year and then we’d be left with no back-up center and just DeAndre Jordan starting, which in two years I don’t think he’s going to be that good. Obv. our #1 priority now is ridding ourselves of Randolph, if we can do Randolph for Hinrich plus draft picks or another player since the money doesn’t add up, it’d be best. I don’t even think Chicago will know what to do until they figure out how to resign Gordon, which they wouldn’t want another super large expensive contract like Randolph’s or Kaman’s to replace Hinrich, which is why I think Camby works out fair for both teams.
- andrew
  
  dun has made it clear they’re not trading camby although if we;re tanking early on, he could be moved by the deadline
jon y

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59279/20090520/dunleavy_were_taking_griffin/

Mike Dunleavy has saved Clippers’ fans and the NBA from a lot of drama over the next month.

“Clearly, we’re taking Blake Griffin,” Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy said in a telephone interview from Barcelona, Spain.

“This guy is the No. 1 pick. We’re extremely excited. He’s the guy.”
Gordon for President

Anyway to sucker Detroit into taking on Zach? If they miss out on Boozer AND Millsap, we can dangle Z-Bo and Thornton for Tayshaun Prince and filler. Or send Kaman packing to DAL for Josh Howard. But the more I think about it, a Kaman for Hinrich deal makes a lot of sense. We’re weak at guard; he could back up BD AND EJ. I think out of the three bigs, Camby should be the one to stay. He’s not injury prone, he’ll be a good teacher, and we can re-sign for a decent price if we somehow manage to become good after this season. I also don’t see a huge problem with keeping Zach, dude is instant offense, can’t he be Sixth Man?
- Chris.
  
  Biggest two problems with keeping Zach as anything, including 6th man is 1) Randolph and Griffin play the exact same position, not only are minutes an issue there, but even keeping Zach as a possible 6th man is a bigger issue because he, drunk driving crazy lunatic off the court mental problems guy would be Griffin’s mentor, and that would ruin anybody… even Jesus. 2) Aside from being a locker room detriment, you just don’t pay a 6th man $16+ million dollars a season. Fortunately we already have a good scorer in Thorton who can’t play defense. Having both forward spots who can’t play defense is a killer.
Gordon for President

I realize you don’t pay a guy $16 milli to come off the bunch, but this is the situation we’re in. Calling him a drunk driving lunatic is off the mark. It was in the news, but of course not reported, that Z-Bo was well below the legal limit. It was obviously a case of Driving While Black. Nice car + racist cops = drunk driving arresst. Lindsey Lohan gets into an accident every week, and she’s free as a bird. I do agree Zach needs to go, we need guard help.
- Chris.
  
  you just compared Randolph to Lohan, nuff’ said!
  He, just like Lohan, had the charges dropped.
  I totes agree we need guard help thanks to our front court help we are hopefully getting with Griffin! Im afraid it may be another summer like last year with a new team, or that could be the reason why Dunce doesn’t go for any deals/trades as well.
Petey Pablo

I did read that Randolph’s drunk driving case was rejected or something. I agree with a black baby face man driving a $400,00.00 car might attract a white cop that can not stand seeing it. Any way , Zach is instant offense and 20 10 type guys help. LA was what? 1-18 before they got Randolph, then they actually won some games.

Kaman is the one who should be traded. I supported him all these years but with his “we are the Clippers ” comment and butter fingers around the rim behavior, trade him. Camby busts his 230lb ass every night. how many centers can grab 20 + rebounds?

There is plenty of offense on the team , and although Kaman had a nice break out season in 07-08 , his offense will not be missed.I feel team chemistry and defense is the cure for last season’s crappy record.
Pboy

Zach Randolph is a respectable offensive player but when it comes down to deffence he sucks on it. If he could develop some kind of “D” he would be a keeper for this team.
Dan S.

If they somehow manage to ship Randolph out for a decent perimeter defender we are golden. If BDiddy plays as well as he is capable (as a passer, not as a long range chucker) we will be fun to watch and very competitive.
Dan S.

Randolph has been in the league how many years? He is not suddenly going to become a good defensive player. He is what he is.
Furn Dizzle

Send him back to portland for Sergio Rod.

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Griffin Seems Stoked

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