Blake Griffin Eager to Make Season Debut

LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin watched Brandon Jennings jump out as the top candidate for Rookie of the Year in November. He's been looking on in December as Tyreke Evans has taken over the lead.

No, the modest Griffin isn't claiming he would be giving either a battle for post-season hardware had he remained healthy. But the Los Angeles Clippers forward gets even more fired up about wanting to play when he sees Milwaukee's Jennings and Sacramento's Evans both averaging around 20 points.

"It's nothing like jealously or anything like that,'' Griffin said in an interview with FanHouse. "It's just that I want to play. They're getting to do what I want to do, so I want to do it.''

By mid-to-late January, Griffin should.

Each day, the NBA's top draft pick takes another step in his recovery from a broken left kneecap suffered Oct. 23 in the Clippers' final preseason game.

He's literally taking steps to making it back.

To help with Griffin's recovery, the Clippers, who suddenly have started to spend some money in recent years (they opened a beautiful new training facility last year), bought a $75,000 AlterG anti-gravity treadmill. It's an ultra-sophisticated device Griffin uses daily after getting in a big bag, zipping it up and letting it inflate.

Griffin is running on the treadmill now while putting only half his body weight on his legs. He's doing that for three to four days, then he'll spend a similar amount of time at 75 percent and finally at full strength. Then he's expected to be cleared to practice and eventually to play.

"Hopefully three weeks,'' Griffin said of when he hopes to return. "Maybe more. Maybe less. Maybe more.''

That's in line with what Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy projects. He said it "could be the second or third week of January'' when Griffin's much-anticipated debut takes place.

It won't be a minute too soon. The Clippers (12-17) have dropped four of their last five after they were getting close to .500, including a very ugly 124-93 Christmas loss at Phoenix on national television.

"We've struggled at times where we obviously could have used him,'' Dunleavy said. "You look at what some of the draft picks around the league, the high draft picks, and what they've brought to their teams.

"He's coming off a really good preseason. We were (6-2). He's creates really easy baskets for himself and others. He's such a great passer and such a great finisher. He has to be one of the best-ever power forwards I've ever seen as far as handling the basketball and passing the ball. He's terrific. His IQ is off the charts.''

Griffin has continued a trend of very modest No. 1 picks since after 2004 selection Dwight "Superman'' Howard began talking (and Tweeting) enough for all of them for the rest of the decade. Next came Andrew Bogut, Andrea Bargnani, Greg Oden, Derrick Rose and Griffin, with not a self-promoting word having been heard yet from any.

At least Griffin has Dunleavy and assistant John Lucas to serve as his P.R. agents.

"I've known Blake since the 10th grade,'' Lucas said. "He's really going to make a great addition to our team... He reminds me of a young Karl Malone with a better jump shot at the same age. He's a little like Carlos Boozer although he's a little more perimeter-oriented. Along the lines of Boozer. Just a bigger, faster version of Boozer.''

Lucas did not go so far as to predict which year Griffin will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

As far as Griffin is concerned, he just wants to play. It's been frustrating being only able to watch games for the past two months. Due in part to not accompanying the team on road, he's seen just about ever recent movie release.

"It's coming along,'' said Griffin, who is allowed to shoot free throws but not yet jump shots. "But it's a process. You got to be patient and you've got to roll with the punches and do what you're allowed to do and not do too much.''

Helping keep Griffin's spirits up is Clippers backup center DeAndre Jordan, who, while with Texas A&M, battled Griffin's Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 in 2007-08. It must be a conference thing since Jordan claims to have a "secret'' handshake with Griffin that he wouldn't demonstrate.

"In a game, if I get a dunk, I'll look at him and give him a special handshake (after returning to the bench),'' Jordan said. "When he comes back, he can do the same. ... He can be a real X factor for us this year.''

With Griffin joining centers Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby, the Clippers will have one of the NBA's best trio of post players. Kaman is averaging 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds and Camby 11.5 rebounds and 2.14 blocks.

The 6-foot-10 Griffin averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds during the preseason. But he was injured late in the preseason finale when he came down awkwardly on his leg after a powerful dunk against New Orleans.

"Kind of, yeah,'' Griffin said of it being a freak injury. "It's one of those things that doesn't happen a lot, but it happens now and then. ... I just want to come in and get back on the floor and help contribute to a playoff run.''

There's still time for that, with the Clippers having entered Sunday a manageable 4 ½ games out of playoff position. And even though Evans and Jennings both have leads in the race Rookie of the Year that can't be overcome, the Kings (13-16) and Bucks (12-16) are barely ahead when it comes to records.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson