Any optimism for the Clippers this year had to begin with the opportunity to get off to a better start than they did last season. Not that improving on 1-13 is a particularly lofty goal, but getting off on the right foot would be the priority for the team and its fans.
And now, with the news that the first two weeks of the season have been canceled, that opportunity – that crucial new beginning – will have to wait at least a little longer.
Sequels are risky. There’s always a chance that the successor will fall flat on it’s face, failing to replicate the success of it’s predecessor.
“Capitol Punishment” — the original Drew-Goodman match-up in D.C. on Aug. 20th — put professional-amateur games on the map this summer, as fans had nothing else to look forward to during the lockout (and still don’t, quite frankly).
Found Objects – 10.6.2011
• Blake Griffin recently posed nude for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue (picture #14 … he’s also on the cover). HoopSpeak’s Beckley Mason sums it up best in his piece about The Body Issue:
Now take a look at Blake Griffin’s quads.
• ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh explains why Blake Griffin is the next Kevin Garnett. Charlie Widdoes adds his own perspective about the Blake-KG comparisons.
• Blake Griffin on the same team as Chris Paul, Manu Ginobili, Chris Bosh and Paul Millsap? Can you imagine the lobs from CP3? How about Eric Gordon running alongside Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Smith and DeMarcus Cousins? While it’s unlikely we’ll see either of these two squads, it’d be possible if there was … a Renegade Basketball League. Grantland.com’s Jay Caspian Kang and Bill Simmons take a look at the possibility of a more entertaining NBA.
• ESPN LA’s Pedro Moura sits down with Blake Griffin to discuss his multi-sport background, knee injury, endurance over the course of 82 games, and improvements for next season.
• I’m not one to toot my own horn, but yesterday I did a pretty cool interview with an avid Clipper fan Dan Sfera. We talked about the Clippers, ClipperBlog and some business aspects of sports journalism. Make sure to check out his business blog, www.dansfera.com, that covers sports and music related topics.
• Steve Perrin of Clips Nation previews the Clippers’ season … if there is one.
Twitter: @JovanBuha
The better question might be “how soon?” and not “if.” He has earned every bit of praise thrown his way for his strength and athleticism, but as Tom Haberstroh points out, it’s his well-rounded game that begs comparisons to one of the most dynamic players of the last few decades: