Blake Griffin, 2012 Olympian?

Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin would love to get a chance to play for Team USA at the 2012 Olympics next year in London. Considering his explosive rookie season with the Clips, it probably seems he deserves a chance, doesn’t it?

Griffin is 12th in the NBA in scoring at 22.5 a game and fourth in rebounding at 12.4 a game. He also won the Slam Dunk contest and was named to the Western Conference All-Star team. And he’s a rookie. If the Rookie of the Year voting is not unanimously in his favor this spring, then something is wrong with the system.

Seems like just the type of player who at least deserves a chance to try out for the team and get into the USA Basketball pipeline, right? If it happens, Griffin told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News he’s ready.

"I would love to (play), but I know they have a protocol and they bring guys in the summers before and all that, and I haven’t been able to do any of that the past two summers," said Griffin. "They have guys that have been in the program. It’s one of those things where, I’d be glad to, but it’s not my main concern."

USA Basketball will come calling and it’s very likely Griffin does get that invite, but is he the right fit in the international game? That style places emphasis on big men who can not only rebound and defend, but also have a nice shooting touch. Sure, Griffin has shot 39% from three-point range this season, but that’s not a shot he takes on a consistent basis (18 all season) or can really be considered part of his repertoire.

He’ll also have to fight to a spot with the players mentioned in the link above: Kevin Love, Rudy Gay, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, and Lamar Odom. There may be other players USA hoops calls on too, veteran types, like LaMarcus Aldridge or David West (if they are interested), whose games may be a better international fit as well.

Then again, considering how much Griffin has accomplished in so short of a time, would anyone be surprised if he made the team when given a chance?

-Jason Fleming

Is Griffin a good fit for USA Hoops? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Same Old Ty

Jazz owner Gail Miller had a simple message for new head coach Tyrone Corbin when he was tapped to replace Jerry Sloan: "I have no desire for you to try to fill Jerry’s shoes. I’d like [you] to stand on his shoulders and move forward in the same direction."

And to his credit, Corbin hasn’t tried to be Sloan.

First off, he’s too young (48) to be Sloan, and that means he’s closer to the players on a personal level.

"He’s still the same guy," Jazz center Al Jefferson told HOOPSWORLD. "That’s a good thing because I have seen a lot of assistant coaches go to head coach and then I find their attitude changes. They try to act more like this or that, but with Ty, that’s not the case. He’s still the same guy."

So far Corbin’s been able to walk the tightrope. The players still see the likeable assistant they followed under coach Sloan, but they also respect his authority to make decisions. After all, he’s already inked an extension, so he isn’t going anywhere soon.

"We understand that he’s the head coach and he’s here to do a job," Jefferson said. "He has to win, so we’re still with him on a professional level, but on the personal side, he’s still the same good guy."

Corbin has kept most of Sloan’s playbook. Obviously, without departed point guard Deron Williams the offense has looked somewhat different, but Jefferson feels Corbin is essentially using Sloan’s system. 

"This is the same," Jefferson said. "Coach Sloan taught Ty everything he knows. He learned from one of the best."

So far, Corbin may be too much like Sloan. He’s continued his predecessor’s sour exit by guiding the Jazz to a 3-8 record. Obviously he’s been breaking in a new point guard (Devin Harris) and a 19-year-old rookie (Derrick Favors), so the early returns may be tainted. Fortunately Utah is currently only 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, so there is still time to salvage his first season as head coach.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Armon Johnson Hits the Breaks

Having speed in the WAC is like having a rifle in the middle ages. It’s an advantage.

There’s nothing wrong with the men’s basketball in the conference, but if you can run like former Nevada point guard Armon Johnson, things just seem easy. He wasn’t the best shooter (he hit only 23.9% of his 3-point attempts in his final college season), but Johnson averaged over 15 PPG for two consecutive years because he could simply outrun the competition. Throw in his 6-3 frame and 6-8 wingspan, and it’s easy to see why the Trail Blazers chose Johnson in the second round of last summer’s draft.

Unfortunately for Johnson, there’s more to the NBA than just speed.

"There’s a lot more that you’ve got to figure out," he told HOOPSWORLD. "Guys are a lot stronger in the NBA. They might just nudge you the right way or a big guy could come over at the last minute and block your shot. It’s a lot different. You’ve got to change pace, direction and use your speed in the right way. You’ve got to know when you use all of your speed, and that’s what I’m trying to pick up. I’m trying to change speeds, trying to learn different ways to play."

Try as he might, Johnson hasn’t gotten much of an opportunity on the floor.

The Reno native is averaging just 7.2 MPG over 32 NBA appearances. He’s gotten his chances in the NBA D-League, where he’s averaged 18.2 PPG over nine contests, but Johnson has been doing more hands-off learning when he’s in Portland.

"It’s very cool," he said. "I’m beginning to learn the ropes the right way. That’s very important to go into my career’s later stage. These guys are winners. They have the right approach every day and that’s one of the biggest things I can take from them—how to be a winner and how to be productive with your time on the court. That’s very important to me. I’m glad I came to a team like this.

"It used to be very hard to swallow when I first started not playing," he continued. "I had to adjust to it and understand that it’s better for the team and maybe even better for myself just to sit back and watch, watch the things I was doing wrong and the things I need to do better, Even when I was doing [things] right, sometimes it’s just better to sit and watch."

Fortunately for Johnson, there’s plenty of good teachers in Portland.

Not only is he coached by a veteran guard in Nate McMillan, but Andre Miller, Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez are around to teach him the system from the guards’ perspective.

Johnson averaged a respectable 5.6 APG as a junior, but now he can sit and watch a passing wizard like Miller—who ranks 10th in the NBA in assist rate—orchestrate McMillan’s offense.

"That’s probably the best experience, the best part of it all," he said. "I got some great veterans around me, so very good guys to learn from. They’re doing a great job of teaching me what I need to learn and what I need to know.

"I do feel like the NBA game is coming to me a little bit when I’m out there," he continued. "There’s a lot of different things that I learn when I’m watching film. I watch these other players out here. I watch Andre a lot, I watch Patty [Mills]. I watch the different ways that these guys play and the different plays that they call, the different things they do on the court. I’ve been learning a lot. I’ve learned so many different things from walking into the court to just talking to the media… I pay attention to these guys when they talk to the media or address the crowd. I pay attention to it and try to learn how to better myself to have a longer career. "

The real test will come in the next few seasons as Miller and Mills hit the free agent market. The Blazers aren’t going to hand Johnson the job, but he should still expect to compete for it.

In the meantime, Johnson is happy backing up his teammates and possibly stepping up if the team suffers more injuries in the backcourt.

"I’m not hoping that any of my teammates go down," Johnson said. "They’re all doing a great job and they’re keeping us strong in the playoff push. I’m happy just to help them get better in practice and cheer them on out there on the bench. When my number is called, I’ll be excited to be out there, but right now I’m happy just to be on the same team."

Johnson actually averaged 12.4 MPG and 4.6 PPG in November, but was eventually demoted to the D-League until late February.

Even with the demotion, however, Johnston doesn’t think his rookie year could have gone any better.

"I don’t think so," he said. "It could have went better if Portland had the No. 1 pick and they picked me, but I’m here now and it doesn’t matter how I got here. I’m just happy to be here."

For the time being, this speedster is happy being sedentary.

Nets Keep Gaines

The Nets signed Sundiata Gaines to another 10-day contract, which means New Jersey has as much depth at point guard as any team in the NBA.

In addition to Deron Williams and Jordan Farmar, the 24-year-old Gaines provides a solid point guard who isn’t necessarily exceptional in any one area. He’s averaged 5.7 PPG and 4.0 APG since joining New Jersey and leads the team with a 1.7 SPG average despite playing only 18 minutes per night. And even though it’s a small sample size, the 6-1 Gaines has a PER above the league average (15.4).

If the Queens native keeps playing like this, he could be with the team when it makes the move to Brooklyn after next season.

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