2009 NBA Draft: Clippers Say They Will Take Blake Griffin

Last summer was tumultuous for the Los Angeles Clippers, much like there last five years. They lost Elton Brand, largely considered at the time as one of the league’s best power-forwards. Before he left Clipperland, Brand had lured Baron Davis to L.A. with hopes of uniting as one of the best tandems the league had to offer. It’s funny how money talks, and Brand walked when he was offered $80 million by Philadelphia.

Well the basketball God’s have spoken, and they’ve said that the Clippers do not deserve to suck that bad. The Clippers won the draft lottery, and will undoubtedly take Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. He is the best player in the draft by a longshot, and the only guy that experts deem a marquee, franchise player.

In essence, the Clippers lost their franchise guy in Brand only to gain a new, fresh face in Griffin. There is justice in the world.

Now the Clippers will roll forward with a rejuvenated Davis, who has already vowed to come back gbetter than ever. He may have left his heart in Golden State, but his passion is still firmly on an NBA Championship betting. On paper, the Clippers might be able to compete with fading stars in the west. Chris Kaman was injured all season. Marcus Camby and Baron Davis both quit on the team. Al Thornton is a tremendous energy player. With Griffin, they could be a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Eleven years ago the Clippers took Michael Olowakandi out of Pacific University with the top pick. Trust me – they’re not making another one of those mistakes. Griffin is an unreal athlete, who plays with power and vengeance. His desire to prove himself will vault him in to Rookie of the Year contention immediately.

Memphis will pick second with the dangerous Oklahoma City Thunder likely gunning after Hasheem Thabeet with the third pick to bolster their front court. The rest of the lottery picks don’t matter, because the rest of the draft absolutely blows (although I’m genuinely intrigued to see where Willie Warren goes…and not just because his name is “Willie”).

Last season, Davis brought hope and Elton Brand ripped it away. This year, a new face joins the ranks of the NBA and brings a new regime to the Clippers. Hope is a funny thing in the NBA odds. Sometimes you spend so long dragging your knuckles across the ground that you just lose it completely. Mike Dunleavy doesn’t help at all. But when a player like Griffin shows up in Hollywood, you have to hope.

The country’s in a recession. NBA owners are panicking about going bankrupt and abandoning their teams. A lockout is looming in the NBA’s future. Cleveland might lose its coveted star. New Jersey might lose its team. Players will bounce to Europe for more guaranteed money. Owners are calling out players’ mothers. The Clippers have been the running gag of the NBA for nearly a decade.

At a time like this, it’s ok for Clippers fans to look up and smile…even if it is just for a little while. A little hope can go a long way. Say what you will about the Clippers, but there’s no more deserving fan base than this.

Provided by Tim Furious of BetUS