Griffin's height in socks:

[tradepeja]

Blake just turned 20, right? He will grow at least 1/2" in the next two years, I'd guess, firmly putting him at 6'10", 6'11" in sneakers.

This guy seems more and more like Amare every single day. Just a little....paler.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Blake just turned 20, right? He will grow at least 1/2" in the next two years, I'd guess, firmly putting him at 6'10", 6'11" in sneakers.

This guy seems more and more like Amare every single day. Just a little....paler.

That can't really be known since not everyone stops growing at the same age. For instance, I stopped growing at 17. We don't know if Blake is done growing or not, so it's baseless speculation.

 

[Warhawk]

We don't know if Blake is done growing or not, so it's baseless speculation.

Don't worry, he's good at that.

 

[Kingster]

Wait..what did I miss there.

1) Webber was about the same height as Peja (not a revelation -- he was listed at 6'9 1/2")
2) because Webber was the same height as Peja, Griffin is 6'10??
er...


Now IF Griffin is 6'10", then things definitely look up there. He is still no lock to be a superstar or whatnot, but at that height and with his athleticism he should at least be a solid contributor. But the question asked for a long time has been precisely is he really 6'10"? Or is he closer to 6'7"/6'8" where the hit percentages begin to really shrink and he almost has to be a star just to be useful.

The real question isn't whether he's 6'10", 6'9", or 6'8". It's why he played defense in the paint like he was 6'6". Maybe his overall length is going to provide some clue...

 

[Warhawk]

The real question isn't whether he's 6'10", 6'9", or 6'8". It's why he played defense in the paint like he was 6'6". Maybe his overall length is going to provide some clue...

He has stated before that his coach didn't want him in any foul trouble and told him to really watch it. True? Who knows? But maybe an accurate representation of what he was told. I never watch much college ball so I can't say from personal observation if this might be the case or not.

 

[Vlade4GM]

He has stated before that his coach didn't want him in any foul trouble and told him to really watch it. True? Who knows? But maybe an accurate representation of what he was told. I never watch much college ball so I can't say from personal observation if this might be the case or not.

It's plausible I guess, but avoiding fouls doesn't necessarily equate to absolutely pee poor defense. One thing is for sure for me is that he is slow to rotate defensively. I don't think he's going to be much of a help defender, definitely not much of a shot blocker. His length and reach will help us understand more about his potential as a positional defender though.

One thing you have to remember though is that all these guys are campaigning for themselves and they have the excuse machine running on overdrive.

 

[Kingster]

He has stated before that his coach didn't want him in any foul trouble and told him to really watch it. True? Who knows? But maybe an accurate representation of what he was told. I never watch much college ball so I can't say from personal observation if this might be the case or not.

I can tell you one thing - he doesn't take the up fake. He just never jumps on D, period. If his coach did tell him that, at least you have to give Griffin credit for being coachable.

 

[Kingster]

It's plausible I guess, but avoiding fouls doesn't necessarily equate to absolutely pee poor defense. One thing is for sure for me in that he is slow to rotate defensively. I don't think he's going to be much of a help defender, definitely not much of a shot blocker. His length and reach will help us understand more about his potential as a positional defender though.

One thing you have to remember though is that all these guys are campaigning for themselves and they have the excuse machine running on overdrive.

It's funny you mentioned his help D. I was just thinking of that. With his quickness, he should be a good help defender. But again, he has to have length to go with it. For being a rookie, I saw Greene do some help defense this year that was quite good. If Griffin has the same length as Greene, then again, he should be very good in that department. But it get backs to length.

 

[bperiod]

Wow, LOL! Based on this thread I would think BG is Kwame Brown

Chad Ford checked in on him and had this to say:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=PreDraftTour-090513

"Everyone has been asking me about Griffin's height. I didn't see him measured. Coach Hill said he's 6-foot-10 in shoes, though if I were to guess, I'd say 6-foot-9. He was noticeably taller than Kenny Thomas, who's listed as 6-foot-7. Either way, I don't think it's going to matter -- regardless of how he measures, he's the No. 1 pick."

I mean, I WANT BLAKE GRIFFIN! There are the Karl Malone comparisons, and the Amare comparisons, that is great. But I've seen him play several times, and the one thing that impresses me the most is he NEVER takes it easy or takes plays off. He can run like the wind, hops out of the gym and is a HARD WORKER! Geez Karl Malone couldn't shoot a free throw or a jumper when he came in the league...I'm not worried about his learning curve based on all reports that he's willing to work. A perfect example was his huge leap between his freshman and sophmore years...

 

[Sptsjunkie]

It's plausible I guess, but avoiding fouls doesn't necessarily equate to absolutely pee poor defense. One thing is for sure for me is that he is slow to rotate defensively. I don't think he's going to be much of a help defender, definitely not much of a shot blocker. His length and reach will help us understand more about his potential as a positional defender though.

One thing you have to remember though is that all these guys are campaigning for themselves and they have the excuse machine running on overdrive.

I've heard this excuse before in college ball from players who had to carry their team's offense. It sounds like it can be legitimate, especially since big men seem to pick up fouls easier in college ball. However, I would be curious if anyone can remember past players this has been said about? I would be interested in knowing if their D actually improved in the pros or if this was just spin used by poor defensive players.

 

[Vlade4GM]

It's funny you mentioned his help D. I was just thinking of that. With his quickness, he should be a good help defender. But again, he has to have length to go with it. For being a rookie, I saw Greene do some help defense this year that was quite good. If Griffin has the same length as Greene, then again, he should be very good in that department. But it get backs to length.

Depends what kind of quickness you're talking about.

 

[Rockmeister]

Wow. Just watching ESPN and Stuart Scott was interviewing Blake Griffith. Blake wears #23 because Wayman Tisdale wore #23. Blake even asked Wayman's permission if it was ok. Thought that was pretty cool.