The 2017 2018 NBA season has started with a mixture of success and lately defeat for The Clippers. The Clips started the season with a strong start winning 5 of 7 games. But now have lost 9 in a row. We could look at the schedule and summarize that the opponents have gotten more difficult.
Although true this Clippers team has a heavy veteran presence which should help navigate a difficult schedule. The deflection of veteran Chris Paul maybe another reason the clips are having early season struggles. But Paul knew his time in LA was over. Paul choose to leave while Blake Griffin elected to resign with Los Angeles.
Back to the Clippers this season was supposed to be the coming out show for Blake Griffin.
It’s his team now his skills and leadership would help move the team forward without Chris Paul and his dominant possession of the basketball. Thus far Griffin and his teammates have struggled. Patrick Beverley will be out with injury. Either way The responsibility and large salary put the pressure squarely on Blake’s shoulders. While justified or not a salary in the range of Griffin’s places the burden on Blake.
Yes Griffin has shown the flashes of a talent player, the question shifts to can Blake Griffin lead the franchise to the where the front office ownership and fans hope?
Right now the answer is no. He can’t do it alone. As before in this current power structure of The NBA it takes multiple stars on a team to climb into the elite. There are a lot of games to be played but the small sample size shows that the league has gotten better and the Clippers and Griffin have not. I guess we’ll have to keep watching this season and find out.