A few years ago, it would be hard to imagine Blake Griffin dominating a game without dunking even once. The former first overall pick made a name for himself almost immediately with jams that seemed to suspend physics. They were frequent. They were everywhere. You can hear Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler echoing "oh me oh my" in your ear just thinking about them.
A new Blake Griffin carried the Clippers to a Game 6 victory
Griffin’s huge Game 6 was crucial for the Clippers to stave off elimination on Thursday. He succeeded it in a way those not paying attention to his growth over the years didn’t expect.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
In Thursday's Game 6 victory, Griffin didn't dunk once. And yet, his contributions were paramount to the Clippers forcing a decisive Game 7 against the Spurs. This wasn't how many expected Griffin to star.
Unlike years past, pure athleticism hasn’t been enough to dominate. Because the Clippers’ bench is so bad, Griffin’s playing more than 41 minutes a night. He’s constantly tired and clearly looked it on Thursday, which isn’t an ideal mix for someone who relies on physicality.
But Griffin isn’t the unskilled rookie of years past. His numbers clearly show it.
| BLAKE GRIFFIN | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | Steals | FG% |
| Game 6 | 41 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 52% |
| Series | 41.1 | 24.2 | 13.2 | 7.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 46.3% |
A couple seasons into his career, Griffin realized the way he played had to change. That's not speculation. He said it himself in an article he penned for The Player's Tribune in February called, "Why Ain't He Dunkin?"
The constant athletic feats were impressive to watch, but they were also wearing him down by February. His mid-range jump shot needed to improve, not to prove his haters wrong, but to make “defenses respect me from everywhere on the floor.”
It's starting to show all over the floor for Griffin now. He hit 5-of-9 on mid-range jumpers while shooting 6-of-11 inside the paint. He's averaging seven assists for the series. Chris Paul might be the league's best passer, but Griffin gives Los Angeles a second player they can trust to make good decisions with the ball anywhere on the floor.
Much of Griffin’s decision-making comes on the fast break. Griffin can still posterize an opponent in a two-on-one situation, but he has new tricks, too. In the second quarter of Game 6, he flashed to the middle to provide Paul an outlet, quickly advanced the ball down court and scored on a running hook shot.
Later in the second half, Griffin eschewed his leaping ability to duck in on Tiago Splitter under the hoop. Griffin had scored over Splitter in a similar fashion earlier in the game, something that showed off his versatility in the fast break.
Dunking is just a weapon for Griffin now, not an identity.
This extends to the other end of the court, too. A good defensive play no longer has to be a highlight block, even though he had four of them on Thursday. A solid possession protecting the rim and forcing a miss is just as important.
After Game 6, Griffin’s Clipper teammates embraced his role as the team’s best player.
“I tell Blake every single night that he’s the guy on the court,” Jamal Crawford told USA Today Sports’ Sam Amick.“No matter who’s on the court, he’s the guy. He has grown into that, and obviously you can see his maturity. When bad plays happen, when good plays happen, he stays focused. He’s leaving it all on the court. He’s not settling. He’s an unselfish superstar.”
The highlights everyone loves are still there for Griffin, just more measured and deliberate. He’s no longer a superstar because of his dunks. He’s a superstar because of his all-around play.
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