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| Griffin put on a dunking clinic in his rookie season. |
A postseason berth looks to be waiting in the wings with the future looking bright in the City of Angels and not just for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Clippers forward Blake Griffin was named the NBA's 2011 Rookie of the Year Wednesday afternoon after becoming a human highlight reel.
Griffin was the first unanimous rookie to win the award in 21 years since San Antonio's 'Admiral', David Robinson, earned the award in 1990.
After being drafted with the first overall pick by Los Angeles out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2009 draft, Griffin has lived up to the billing.
However, it hasn't been easy
After having a productive preseason, Griffin would suffer a non-displaced stress fracture on his left patella in their final preseason game, putting his regular season debut on hold.
Griffin would have successful knee surgery in January of 2010 and begin a grueling four to six month rehabilitation process, working relentlessly to be healthy and ready for the 2010-11 season and was he ever.
The 22-year-old came out with vengeance and a lot to prove this season and it showed in his play.
Griffin electrified the Staples Center crowd along with the entire NBA early on with his high-flying ability and freakish athleticism. His sometimes cartoonish dunks were a constant fixture on Sportcenter's Top 10 Plays throughout the week and the entire NBA season.
In his NBA debut, Griffin scored 20 points with 14 rebounds, nine of them coming on the offensive glass. His first NBA basket was a glimpse into the future with an alley-oop slam dunk from fourth-year guard, Randy Foye. Griffin averaged a double-double in his rookie season, scoring 22.5 points per game along with 12.1 rebounds.
His 214 dunks were good enough for second in the league, behind Orlando's center Dwight Howard, who has led the NBA the in that category the last couple of years.
Griffin was also the first rookie to appear in an All-Star Game, since China sensation, Yao Ming represented the Houston Rockets in 2003. Prior to the game in Los Angeles, Griffin would bring the crowd to their feet by winning the '11 Slam Dunk Contest, capping the night with a revolutionary leap over a Kia.
Griffin was everything the Clippers could have hoped for and more in his rookie season and the beginning of what may be a changing of the guard.
The Lakers dropped their second straight home game Wednesday night and face a 2-0 series deficit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. With the Lakers a veteran and aging team, the Clippers might be on the rise as the team in Los Angeles.
The Clippers have a long way to go before they can make that claim, but have all the right pieces in place.
Former Hoosiers star Eric Gordon is coming off a career year in his third season in the NBA, averaging 22.3 PPG, trailing only Griffin for the team lead. It also looks as if center DeAndre Jordan is coming into his own after making his presence felt in the paint in.
All the pieces are there for the Clippers to succeed moving forward with a lot riding on their highly-controversial and unpredictable owner, Donald Sterling.
Sterling has been known not to over spend when it comes to keeping his franchise players from hitting the open market. That was apparent when Sterling allowed former superstar Elton Brand to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers after the 2007-08 season.
Although the decision looks rather smart as Brand has been injury riddled during his time in Philadelphia and looks to be on the the back end of his career. They will need Sterling to open his pocket book once again to get this team where it wants to be.
If so, the future seems bright with Griffin and Co. looking for that Hollywood ending.
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