The Most Overrated Player in the NBA... and it's Obvious

     I just turned on the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks game on TNT. As I watch this, a player for the Clippers is shooting free throws. As he is shooting, a stat comes up on the screen. It says, "1 point in last 19 minutes - 0/5 FG". Without watching the previous 19 minutes, and without looking at who is shooting free throws, I successfully guessed who that statistic was about.

     I watch a good amount of basketball, and I know what a solid power forward is supposed to be. In today's NBA, your power forward should be a stretch-4 that has an inside game and can hit a consistent 15-footer. This power forward bricking his free throws is a highly overrated player, and in my opinion, the most overrated player in the league. I am talking about Blake Griffin.

     If I am looking for a highlight dunk, or a high flying player, the only player after LeBron James worth picking is Blake Griffin. If I am starting a franchise, or I want a power forward that I can go to to score when I need it, I am staying away from Griffin. Outside of five feet (and with his hops, maybe 8 feet), Griffin is so offensively challenged, I am drooling at the mouth if I have a top defense.

     15-footer: Brick.

     Watching Griffin brick another jump shot, I had to look up some advanced stats. Looking at hoopdata.com's advanced statistics on Griffin, I found no surprises. In almost three complete seasons, Griffin has taken over 1200 more shots at the rim compared to 10 to 15 feet, and over 600 more shots at the rim compared to 3 to 9 feet. His number of shots outside the rim has drastically decreased since his rookie year. Last year, Griffin shot only 28 percent from 10-15 feet.

     First free throw: Brick.

     Griffin has yet to shoot above 70 percent from the free throw line. This causes him to miss valuable minutes at the end of games, and I do not want my franchise player at the end of the bench in crunch time. Again, inside of 5 feet, nobody compares to Griffin outside of LeBron. Eventually, I see Griffin becoming a solid NBA player.

     Someone so offensively challenged outside of 5 feet continues to get praise as one of the biggest stars in the NBA, and if I get enjoyment out of high flying dunks, there is nobody better. But as a fan of the game, I guess I am missing something when I hear analysts and people in the media praising his game. I haven't seen one person with the same opinion as myself, and it seems like that is how today's game is supposed to go.

Is the Season Here Yet?

It is March 24, 2013. I woke up to a text alert at 8 A.M. this morning about a winter weather advisory. The Indians begin their season in 9 days, and all of Ohio is under a winter weather advisory. Opening day is in two weeks, and we are expecting six inches of snow. The sad part is, the six inches is expected here, and not in Cleveland, off the lake. This brought back memories of the 2007 “Snowpening Day”.

But then I became excited. This is a unique area. You can count the number of cities that have fans that would be okay with a snow storm crashing their Opening Day parade on one hand. It comes with being a Cleveland fan I suppose. You really can expect anything. Only in Cleveland could you have a lake effect snow storm on Opening Day, and have your old manager that led your 90’s teams make the umpires call the game in the top of the 5^th, one out away from a complete game. And only in Cleveland, could you have Paul Byrd, pitching in the last games of his career, take a perfect game into the 5^th.

This is a city where every fan in the stadium throws their beer bottles at the referees. It is a city where entire teams move overnight. This is a place where jersey burnings are expected, and where “There’s always next year” is trademarked. And yet, with all of that being said, it is viewed as normal.

The beginning of the season cannot come soon enough, and with that comes Opening Day. I will continue the streak of attending every Opening Day since 2002 with my father. Rain, sleet, or yes, even snow, we will be there. It is only fitting that this happens in Cleveland.