Glen Davis Says Blake Griffin Was Nothing Without His Athleticism

· Yahoo Sports

Blake Griffin built his early NBA reputation on power, speed and above-the-rim play. He could explode to the basket, finish through contact and make plays that turned him into one of the league’s biggest young stars.

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But one former teammate has a much harsher view of what made Griffin successful. Glen Davis believes too much of Griffin’s game depended on one thing, and once that part of his game disappeared, so did much of his effectiveness.

Glen Davis Questions Blake Griffin’s NBA Game

Davis played with Griffin during the 2014-15 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. That gave him a close look at Griffin during the middle of his prime, when the forward was already established as one of the NBA’s most recognizable stars.

Apr 22, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) celebrates with power forward Lamar Odom (7) in the second half of game one against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Clippers won 93-91. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Years later, Davis still remembers Griffin as a player who leaned heavily on his physical gifts. When asked how good Griffin really was, Davis suggested that the former No. 1 pick did not consistently deliver when the biggest moments arrived.

“I think about that a lot,” Davis said when asked how good Blake Griffin was. “I think he was just all gas, right? Because there were moments, crucial moments where he just didn’t show up. You know what I mean? Yes, he was athletic. Yes, he could get to the rim, score. But I don’t think he really panned out what he thought he was.”

That is a pointed assessment of a player who made five All-Star teams and was once viewed as one of the faces of the league. Griffin was not just known for highlight dunks, either, but Davis believes his athleticism remained the foundation of too much of what he did.

The biggest question, then, is what happened when that advantage started to disappear.

Glen Davis Says Blake Griffin Lost Too Much When His Athleticism Faded

Griffin eventually had to change his game as injuries and age took away some of the explosiveness that once made him so difficult to stop. He became more comfortable as a passer and perimeter player, but Davis does not believe those adjustments were enough to replace what Griffin had physically.

Apr 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and guard Chris Paul (3) react during a NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Kings 115-95. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“When he stopped jumping, everything just looked normal. When he stopped jumping high in the sky, you know, it just, he couldn’t do anything else,” Davis said. “I think his athletic ability helped him around the rim and things like that. Yeah, he had some coordination a little bit. But at the same time, it’s just like his athleticism, when that got taken away from him, he was nothing, like at all.”

That is where Davis’ comments become especially controversial. Griffin still produced useful basketball after his athletic decline, including stretches where his passing, shooting and ability to create from the perimeter became bigger parts of his game.

Dec 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NBA on Prime analyst Blake Griffin at press conference at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Still, Davis is making a much broader argument about Griffin’s career. In his view, the physical gifts that made Griffin spectacular also covered up limitations that became far easier to see once those gifts were no longer there.

Griffin’s résumé tells a different part of the story, but Davis is questioning how much of that résumé was built on athleticism alone. That is a far more damaging critique than simply saying a former star lost a step.

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