“It’s Gotta Be Lakers or Clippers” Blake Griffin Shares His NBA Finals Predictions

Blake Griffin was one of the most exciting players in the NBA. He burst on to the scene in 2010 after being drafted first overall by the LA Clippers in 2009. He missed his rookie season due to injury but won Rookie of the Year when he played in 2010. Griff became a superstar in LA, making it to five all-star teams. He found an elite running mate in Chris Paul. Blake, Paul, and DeAndre Jordan formed the fabled ‘Lob City’ Clippers which was one of the most exciting teams to watch in the 2010s.

The team never got any post-season success and would eventually break up. Griffin signed a massive extension with the Clips in 2017 but got traded to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons struggled for relevance after the sun truly set on their Eastern Conference dominance in the 2000s. However, with Blake, they instantly returned to the playoffs. Griffin found his form again and became an all-star for the sixth time in his career. Despite the progress, Griffin spent most of this year struggling with injuries, and the Pistons were left out of the bubble.

Griffin spoke to Bleacher Report about who he thinks will succeed in the NBA Playoffs this year. He backed his former team Clippers and the LeBron James led Lakers to be the Western Finals matchup. He picked the Bucks coming out of the East.

“Out of the West, it’s gotta be Lakers or Clippers, and in the East, the Bucks. We haven’t even really seen a good head-to-head Lakers-Clippers game. I feel like the first game, no Lou Will, he’s such a big piece, and Montrezl [Harrell] too. It’ll be fun to see those two teams,” Griffin said.

Blake Griffin and his future in Detroit

Detroit is stuck halfway between a rebuild and a contending team. They moved on from Andre Drummond this season for barely any assets and have Griffin under contract till 2022. They have emerging stars like Christian Wood and Sekou Dombouya. However, they also have the resurgent but old Derrick Rose up for a contract at the end of next season.

Considering Griffin has shown that he doesn’t need to dunk to be a good player, the Pistons could wait for him to return and see how he fits with Rose and Wood. However, the money they are paying him is exorbitant and they should make a decision sooner rather than later.