Charles Barkley Says Blake Griffin is Overrated, Then Kenny Smith Gets Him to Take it Back
By Jason McIntyre
Before we get into this Barkley/Smith/Shaq summit on Blake Griffin, a few basic stats out of the way:
As a rookie: 22.5 ppg, 12.1 rpg. So in his first year in the league – 12th in scoring, top five in rebounds per game, top 10 in offensive rebounds per game.
So far this year: 21.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg. He’s 9th in scoring and fourth in rebounding (top 10 in offensive rebounds per game).
He shoots free throws poorly. That’s about the only knock on Griffin. He turns 23 in March, so there’s still hope for his free throw shooting.
Barkley, in the above video, said Kevin Love was the best power forward in the league. Barkley said Griffin has to get better offensively (only shooting 51 percent from the field). Then Shaq and Kenny Smith pressed Barkley to say what he said backstage, which was this: “Right now, [Blake Griffin] is a little overrated.”
Then Kenny Smith went to work on Barkley the way Griffin goes to work on opponents in the low post. And a minute later, after Shaq asks, “are you sure that’s the word you want to use?” Barkley recants his position (2:50): “Ok, I used the wrong word.”
Kevin Love: 43 percent field goals. He’s on pace to attempt 150 more three-pointers than he did last year (only making 36 percent of them, vs. 41 percent last year). Love is putting up monster numbers (25.2 ppg, 14.2 rpg) on a dreadful team, and with Michael Beasley hurt, it just means more shots for Love. (Love is also playing for an extension, which he should get any day now.)
Here are the NBA’s best power forwards: Love, Griffin, Aldridge, Dirk, Bosh, David Lee, Amare, Al Jefferson, Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. How many of those guys, right now, are you taking over Blake Griffin to fit on the Clippers’ roster?
Love and the Wolves host Griffin and the Clippers tonight on ESPN. Chris Paul’s questionable in his first meeting with Ricky Rubio.