By now you've all heard the “earth shattering” news that Blake Griffin is apparently pretty good at playing basketball. The first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft made the Clippers' brass giggle like school girls as he jammed home 27 points and snagged 12 rebounds in his Las Vegas Summer League debut. Griffin hit 11-of-15 shots in the game, and the beauty of it all was how mach variance had.

Hell, he even put up a three-pointer. Why is that surprising? Because he's only hit three 3-pointers in his entire college career. Apparently Mike Dunleavy has been up Griffin 's rear end to get the kid to improve his outside shot. The proof is in the pudding, Clippers fans. Blake Griffin is officially your savior.

The pundits have been clamoring for weeks that Griffin punched a “one-way ticket to Hell” by getting drafted by the Clippers, and that he'll just be another bust in a long list of Michael Olawakandi-type calamities for the Clippers. On the flip side, I'm loving the addition to the Clippers. Elton Brand can kiss my fat ass – the Clippers have an exciting roster.

Now don't get too excited before you go sloshing money around in the NBA futures. You're not going to become an instant-millionaire in June 2010 by calling your BetUS Account Manager and throwing $10,000 at the Clippers to win the NBA title next year. But for the bottom-feeding carcass that has been the LA Clippers, any good sign is a breath of fresh air for a franchise that has been collapsing on all sides like a Michael Vick bankruptcy bail-out solution.

Let's just give you a rundown of the Clippers last season. Only two guys played more than 70 games, and that was Eric Gordon, the electric UCLA Bruin who averaged 16.1 points and 2.8 assists in his first NBA season, and the high-flying Al Thornton of FSU. After that it gets really, really ugly.

Baron Davis finished in just 65-games, but checked out spiritually after playing for about sixteen seconds in Clipper-land. Marcus Camby averaged 10.3 points and 11.1 rebounds in just 62 games. Chris Kaman lasted all of 31 games. Zach Randolph saw the court just 39 times last season. Call it injuries or bad luck, the Clippers had every form of negative energy brewing in Clipper land last season.

That's why Griffin 's mere presence is a God send to the Clippers NBA betting faithful. Baron Davis and Elton Brand were supposed to be the one-two punch that would drag the Clippers out of hell. Instead, Brand bolted for cash and surgery in Philadelphia last season and destroyed three franchises in the process (the Warriors lost Davis , L.A. and Philly both lost Brand and cash).

But Brand's bad taste has been Listerine'd out of the mouths of Clippers fans by the single performance of Griffin . Keep in mind that nobody has said one bad thing about Griffin . His other draft colleagues have failings piling up. Curry is playing soft and intimidated. Rubio isn't going to suit up for the Timberwolves anytime soon. Hasheem Thabeet agreed that he has “a lot to work on” as the second-overall selection. Griffin , on the other hand, is showcasing his talent in spades, and developing new tricks.

Think about the starting lineup for the Clippers just for a moment. A rejuvenated Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Blake Griffin and either Camby or Kaman at center. Are you telling me that that team isn't scary athletic? I know it's the Clippers, but get serious for a moment. Davis is a bulldozer, I'm pretty sure that Thornton 's only consistent ability is two rim-shattering dunks per game, Gordon is the future of the franchise and Griffin is the standout of the 2009 Draft Class.

For the Clippers, who finished second-last in the Western Conference, and it's no secret that the West is filled with gaping holes. Phoenix , Golden State , Minnesota , Memphis and Sacramento are all in horrific condition heading in to 2009-10. At the very least, the Clippers have a hope in hell of entertaining crowds. The weight of the world is on Griffin 's shoulders, but if any one man can drag the Clippers out from their own grave, it's him. The league is getting older, and the Clippers are getting younger and more athletic.

Now if they could just get rid of this Mike Dunleavy character…


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