Found Objects – 8.15.2011
• Zach Lowe’s Top 100 rankings continue, with Blake coming in at #14 (Pierce is #15 and Randolph is #13):
14. BLAKE GRIFFIN
PF, Los Angeles Clippers
Age: 22
2010-11 Stats: 22.5 PPG, 50.6 FG%, 64.2 FT%, 12.1 RPG, 3.8 APGRanking Griffin above established stars like Garnett and Stoudemire just seems uncouth. But a year from now, ranking him even this low will look silly when he puts up some crazy average line, like 25-14-4, and shows a new gear on defense.
Found Objects – 8.14.2011
• SI.com ranked Eric Gordon de-commiting from Illinois to Indiana as one of the 10 most painful of the past five recruiting classes:
Star recruit Eric Gordon verbally committed to the Bruce Weber-led squad at Illinois in fall 2005. But it wasn’t long after the hiring of new Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson that rumors began to swirl that Gordon was turning his attention to the Hoosiers. On Oct. 13, Gordon switched his commitment. On Nov. 8, he signed with Indiana. The one-and-done freshman set IU’s scoring record with 669 points and was drafted in 2008 by the Clippers.
Found Objects – 8.13.11
• SLAM sits down with EJ and talks about this summer, the lockout and of course, Blake Griffin. Here are a few questions:
SLAM: You guys seem to have a nice young core on the Clippers with you, Blake and DeAndre Jordan. Are you hoping the team can keep you guys together?
EG: I think it needs to happen for us to be a really good team. You see all these other teams who have guys playing together their entire careers and they stayed really good. We’re really young—been in the League three or four years and we’re still only 22 or 23.
Found Objects – 8.12.2011
• Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel ranked Blake Griffin the sixth best power forward in the league:
Blake Griffin
Power forward ranking: 6th
Current team: L.A. Clippers
Height/weight: 6-10/251
Age on Nov. 1, 2011: 22
Seasons with current team/in NBA: 1/1
2010-11 regular-season stats: 82 G, 38.0 mpg, .506 fg%, .292 3p%, .642 ft%, 22.5 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 3.8 apg
2010-11 advanced regular-season stats*: .549 ts%, .508 efg%, 18.6 trb%, 111 ortg, 107 drtg, 21.9 PER
Found Objects – 8.11.11
• In Zach Lowe’s Top 100 player rankings, EJ came in at #29, in between Andre Iguodala and Rudy Gay:
29. ERIC GORDON
SG, Los Angeles Clippers
Age: 22
2010-11 Stats: 22.3 PPG, 45.0 FG%, 36.4 3PT%, 4.4 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.3 STL
Gordon’s breakout year in his third season — his first with a Player Efficiency Rating (18.56) above the league’s average — lasted just 56 games because of injury. But what Gordon showed suggests bigger things are ahead, and this ranking may undersell what he’s going to do in a full season alongside Blake Griffin.