It’s
only the first week of the NBA’s regular season, but Blake Griffin of the Los
Angeles Clippers has already made a statement.
The top pick of the 2009 draft finally played his first NBA
game - and boy, what a debut! Griffin notched 20 points and 14 rebounds,
including nine offensive boards. Not bad for a kid that hadn't played a regular
season game (college or pro) in 18 months.
So that got our expert sportsbooks thinking. What are Griffin's
targets for this season? How high can he soar? Will he displace John Wall as
the leading candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year? Can he help make Clippers fans
forget that, well, that they're Clippers fans?
Here are some 'for fun' basketball odds on the former Oklahoma Sooners star and on the 2010-2011 NBA season:
Total amount
of reg. season games by Blake Griffin:
Over 59.5 5/7
Under 59.5
5/4
Blake
Griffin leading the Clippers in PPG:
Yes EVEN
No EVEN
Blake Griffin
winning Rookie of the Year:
Yes 5/2
No 1/3
Blake
Griffin entering Slam Dunk Contest:
Yes 2/3
No 5/4
Blake
Griffin making the All-Star team:
Yes EVEN
No EVEN
Any length
suspension for Blake Griffin:
Yes 5/1
No 2/11
The Clippers
making the playoffs:
Yes 2/1
No 4/9
Oklahoma
fans knew he was great, but also worried about his injury-prone nature every
single game. So it's only natural that we offer odds on the amount of games he'll
play this season. Purely on his gut, SBR Forum Oddsmaker Steve Ricci says
Griffin is due for a little good luck this season.
"The guy
looked so good in preseason last year and then suffered a leg injury in the
final preseason game. It was such a letdown. This year, he should be healthy
enough to play at least 60 games."
Griffin and
teammate Eric Gordon should battle all season for the team scoring lead. Currently,
SBR Forum has the odds as a pick'em right now between the two Clippers. Gordon
opened the season with a team-high 22 points against the Blazers. Ricci doesn't
expect veteran Baron Davis to be a factor in the team's scoring race. "Davis has
clearly lost a step and we don't see him being the go-to guy on this team."
While John
Wall has gotten all of the attention this offseason after being selected first
overall in June, Griffin should give him and the rest of the rookie crop a real
run for their money. If his first NBA game is any indication, Griffin is more
than ready to handle the speed and competition.
"We have
Blake as a 5/2 shot to win the top rookie honors, but that could change in a
matter of games. If he plays like he did in the opener for long stretches, this
competition will become a one-man show."
One of the
noticeable aspects of Griffin's game is his explosiveness. He rammed home a few
balls in Game 1. That said, it's only natural that the NBA and David Stern
would try and coax him into competing in the slam dunk contest. Other than
Dwight Howard, you don't often see power forwards in the competition, but
Griffin's rising star power could be too enticing to ignore. He's a 2/3 slight
favorite to participate in the annual spectacle.
Surprisingly,
Ricci has listed Griffin's chances as 50/50 to make the all-star team this
season. But he explains his thinking thoughtfully. "Blake is benefitting from a
depleted power forward landscape in the NBA's Western Conference. Amare Stoudamire
is now with the Knicks and Carlos Boozer joined the Bulls. If Griffin is
healthy all year, his skills and popularity could land him in the big
exhibition game."
Of course, what
list of NBA odds would be complete without a basketball prop on suspensions?
Griffin does appear to be one of the good ones and we have no character
indications to believe he'll get into trouble this season. However, because he
plays with high intensity, negative heat-of-the-moment actions are always a
possibility. Still, at 5/1, Ricci believes the likelihood of him getting into
trouble is not great.
Finally, can
the Clippers make the playoffs? They're certainly no favorite to get in.
However, Griffin is a game-changer. He gives the team a dimension that it hasn't
seen since Elton Brand left town. Yet, the west is full of stacked teams that
will be in their way.
"If Griffin
wasn't in the lineup, we wouldn't give the Clippers a chance in to get to the
playoffs. With him, it's still a tall order. At 2/1, we think they'll be an
underdog bet all yearlong and that it'll come down to the final few games."
If Griffin
can stay in the lineup right until the end, he might be able to put the Clips over the
top.
So where do
you weigh in? Comment now in the forum thread.