FanPost

Thoughts on Blake's Future


Just thought I'd throw this out for discussion, assuming it hasn't already been discussed (and in more eloquent fashion) elsewhere on the site already . . .

The Clippers seem to be getting a lot of negative press in spite of Blake's emphatic emergence as a top tier player. More than a few sports writers and analysts have stated that they see his future being a purple and gold clad one. I got to wondering as to why this seems to be such a widely held view (beyond the usual "it's the Clippers" type reasoning). Clear cut young superstars like Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard, playing in considerably smaller markets and on teams that were unsuccessful when they arrived, seldom were given such treatment. Even LeBron was spared initially.

I have a view, and I won't comment as to how much I believe it to be the truth, that these statements are in many cases reflective of the oft-noted East Coast bias of the major sports networks (The LA Times would perhaps be more exemplary of simple Lakers 'homerism'). The Lakers are a perennial powerhouse and even in the post-Kobe era they will be a draw for marquee free agents. More often than not, the Lakers can be considered a viable contender for at least making the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers don't necessarily need Blake Griffin to have success in the future. However, what if Blake stays loyal to the Clippers and 2 of the leagues top 4 franchises (let's assume OKC and Miami are the other 2). Suddenly, the center of the basketball universe would be focused squarely on 1 city. A city that also is not named Boston or New York. I'm obviously taking a shot at ESPN here but the national media in general seems to have bought into a narrative of the NBA that goes something like the Lakers (as the antagonist) vs. an Eastern Conference protagonist. People on the East Coast seem to really enjoying seeing teams from Los Angeles lose (the "Beat LA" chant isn't heard just in AT&T Park). The Lakers are a necessary evil but it's considered worth if for those 2004 Pistons and 2008 Celtics teams.

Anyways ... just trying to give a (hopefully) different perspective on the topic of Blake's future. I realize there's a good number of counterarguments but, regrettably, I don't have the time to address them.

FanPosts are user-created content and do not represent the views and opinions of Clips Nation's staff.

In This FanPost

Teams

Trending Discussions