
OAKLAND –- One of the many subplots during Warriors-Clippers games involves the interplay between Draymond Green and Blake Griffin.
Green is the often rejected junkyard dog, a pit bull with the heart of a lion.
Griffin is the overall No. 1 pick in his draft class, a marvelous athlete whose heart has, quite frankly, been questioned.
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So it’s a battle between men with contrasting images and reputations.
But it is, indeed, a battle, perhaps now more than ever. The Griffin that Green will see when the teams meet Thursday in Los Angeles is playing at MVP level.
“I’m not going to lie about it,” Green said after practice Wednesday. “I’d say about, maybe my rookie year in the NBA, I was wondering, ‘Would Blake ever take that next step?’ Because it was like, OK, he’s athletic. He’s dunking the ball. He’s had a few injuries, so eventually this athleticism is going to decrease.
“Would he take that extra step to add more to his game? Or will he just always . . .
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“And my, my, my – over the course of those next three years, he took those steps. He’s playing phenomenal.”
[REWIND: Ezeli's highlight reel block of Griffin sends Oracle into frenzy]
Griffin is averaging 26.6 points (sixth in the NBA) and 9.0 rebounds (18th) per game. He’s shooting 55.8 percent from the floor, 11th in the NBA but easily the best of among the league’s top 40 scorers. His Player Efficiency Rating is 31.03, just ahead of Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook (30.79) and behind only Warriors star Stephen Curry’s 34.96.
Griffin has become a better all-around basketball player. He still provides the occasional high-flying video clip, but the sixth-year forward from Oklahoma has rounded out his overall offensive game.
“He’s shooting the basketball well,” Green said. “His 18-footer . . . whenever I see it or play against him, he’s hitting it at a consistent rate. And he’s worked on his post moves. Where just used to be bully ball, it’s not any more. And that’s what’s made him more dangerous.”
This is the kind of confrontation that usually brings out the best in Green, whose first steps toward widespread notice came when he contained Griffin so well in the seven-game playoff series between the teams in 2014.
It’s a different Blake now. It’s also a different Draymond.
“When you get to play against a talent like Blake, of course it’s fun because it’s a challenge,” Green said. “What can you do with that challenge?”