It’s been a big concern for the Clippers, the hard fouls Blake Griffin has started to take. From Jason Smith to Robin Lopez guys are getting ejected knocking Griffin around, and other guys are not getting ejected for some physical play on the Clippers star.
Kobe Bryant has been there and says Griffin needs to knock somebody around, to send a message to the league. Not dunk on them, really knock them around.
And he said it in a very Kobe way. Here is what he told Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
“I’d smack the f--- out of somebody,” Bryant told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday. “I’ve known him for a while and he’s a really nice guy so I don’t know if he’d want to do that. But I would. I would’ve done it early in the year….
“I saw Shaq crack somebody his first year. I did it my first few years. Sometimes people feel like they can take advantage of you, they hit you and this, that, and the other. Sometimes you have to say, ‘Look, you’re not going to do this to me. I’ll take two games but you’re not going to put my health at risk by injuring me potentially. It’s not going to happen.’ ”
Somewhere, David Stern just involuntarily cringed.
DeAndre Jordan, Griffin’s teammate and friend, has talked about coming in to defend Griffin if it happens again.
Which is really when it happens again because the book on Griffin is to foul and foul hard — he is only shooting 52 percent from the stripe so it’s a good strategy to foul him rather than let him dunk. But he’s so strong that if you do foul you had better get your money’s worth or he will get an and-1. So the hard fouls keep coming. And Griffin may need to push back because he’s learning that just complaining to the referees doesn’t work and comes off poorly with fans.
He shouldn’t do it during the playoffs, but early next season don’t be shocked if Griffin pushes back on somebody.
