Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers has established himself as one of the flexible forwards who can play a stretch center if one thinks about the small ball philosophy. However, all that can only happen if he is healthy and suited up.
With Griffin originally nearing a return, he ends up extending his time off the court with a new injury resulting from an off-court fracas.
The All-Star forward made headlines recently when he reportedly punched the assistant equipment manager of the Clippers over an argument at a restaurant in Toronto.
This resulted in Griffin ruled out for four to six weeks, adding to the woes of the franchise which has already been struggling as of report writing. But would that be enough for the Clippers to consider trading the slam-dunking forward?
Distracting as the off-court issue may be, it hardly seems to be a good reason to deal Griffin at this point. It is one of those things where off-court issues are drawn to the world of sports. But the trade issue goes way beyond that.
The Clippers continue to identify why they are falling short of their goal despite a stellar lineup. They have one of the NBA's premier point guards as well as one of the best centers to complement Griffin.
Could Griffin be the one underachieving?
Griffin has shown he can play ball. But the thing is, he lacks a certain aura that could place him as a franchise player. The Toronto fracas is a distraction and likely to draw him down.
But moving forward, parting with Griffin at this point may not be feasible for the Clippers. If ever they do have plans, it may depend on who they would be getting in return.
If any trade is to be made, it will likely go down by the offseason and not come the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 18).
