The Blake Griffin SweepstakesBy:

	Blake Griffin

The NBA’s Draft Lottery, better known this year as the “Blake
Griffin Sweepstakes,” is tomorrow night at 8:30 ET before the Lakers-Nuggets game.
In the past two drafts, it wasn’t a huge letdown if you didn’t win the lottery
because the two consolation prizes, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley, were solid
alternatives. That’s not the case this year.

While there are some teams that can use the creativity
and playmaking skills of the 18-year-old Ricky Rubio, or the length and defensive
prowess of UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet, the drop-off in talent is so significant that
all fourteen lottery team representatives will be bringing every rabbit’s foot
and lucky penny they can find to Secaucus.

For a bunch of these teams, it’s all or nothing. It’s Blake Griffin or it’s “maybe
next year.” That’s doesn’t mean no one else in this draft can be a star. It means
that Griffin is the only one that will definitely be a star.

Offensively, Griffin reminds many of a young Karl Malone. His physique and athleticism
are reminiscent of a young Mailman, and he’s taller. That ability to run and jump
instantly makes him a perfect fit for offensive systems like Memphis, Golden State,
and New York. A lot of people just think Griffin is a run and dunk-type of player,
but those people don’t know basketball. If you watch this youtube highlight video:

you’ll see that:

He’s very good at turning and facing. Once he does that, he is too quick for whoever
is guarding him. He’ll succeed in taking bigs off the dribble the same way Amare
Stoudemire does.

He’s got a much better handle than people give him credit for. He can grab a rebound
and take it the length of the court a la Charles Barkley.

He’s an underrated passer, especially on the interior. When he’s double-teamed,
he has the vision and court sense to find the open man and make a good pass.

He’s got a good spin move in the post and can finish well around the basket even
when he can’t dunk it. He also has a turnaround jump shot that he likes to use
the glass on. With steady improvement, think Tim Duncan with less height but more
athleticism.

All of these weapons will allow him to play in any offensive system. Because he
can create his own shot both in the post and on the wing, he’ll be fine on a team
like Sacramento that lacks upper-echelon playmakers. On a team like Minnesota,
he can step out and let Al Jefferson occupy the block whereas, on Washington,
he can post up while Jamison, Butler, and Arenas occupy the perimeter. He will
end up like LeBron or Barkley in that they don’t really play positions; they are
simply basketball players.

Then, there’s the other end of the ball. First of all, he’s a great shot-blocker.
He’s very aggressive and has great timing, but he also knows when he can go get
a shot and when he can’t. In that respect, he’s a good position defender. You
don’t see many shot-blockers taking charges, but if you watched that video above,
you saw him do that. He’s quick enough to guard threes and big and strong enough
to guard fours. Think Kenyon Martin. It’s not surprising that, out of the ten
worst defensive teams in the League this year, nine of them will have representatives
with their fingers crossed in Secaucus. He will instantly make whichever team
that gets him better defensively.

Finally, Griffin has everything you’d want in a franchise player in terms of his
attitude. He plays hard every single night, a quality that would be especially
valuable in the LA Clippers’ locker room. He never takes a play off, let alone
entire games. He is also the consummate teammate. When he had to sit out with
a concussion, it didn’t prevent him from jumping around and supporting his teammates
as best he could from the sideline. The kid simply wants to win.

In these economic times, he will be a huge lift to any lottery team because he
will put fans in the seats. He’s got the type of game and heart that fans value
in their players and will be a hit no matter what city he ends up in.

He’d give Sacramento the franchise big man they’ve lacked since Chris Webber left
town. It’s no coincidence that the Kings haven’t been good since then.

He’d make the Washington Wizards significant players in the 2010 Eastern Conference
Playoff picture.

He’d make the Clippers relevant, and he’d give Thunder fans a hometown hero to
root for.

He’d give Minnesota another stud on the block, and he’d team with Rudy Gay and
Marc Gasol to give Memphis a deadly frontcourt going forward. He’d be the perfect
big man for Nellie’s small-ball, and he’d give Knicks’ fans something they haven’t
had since the 90s: hope.

There are lottery teams with more pressing needs than a PF, but there is no team
in the lottery that doesn’t need Blake Griffin. He’s the only player in this draft
that’s a surefire franchise-changing talent. That’s why tanking for the Blake
Griffin Sweepstakes started so early this past season, and that’s why I’ll be
kneeling in front of my television tomorrow night, saying a prayer or two in my
Knicks jersey.