{"id":417732,"date":"2011-05-05T01:34:23","date_gmt":"2011-05-05T01:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/05\/griffin-unanimously-voted-top-rookie-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-05-05T01:34:23","modified_gmt":"2011-05-05T01:34:23","slug":"griffin-unanimously-voted-top-rookie-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/05\/griffin-unanimously-voted-top-rookie-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Griffin unanimously voted top rookie (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LOS ANGELES (AP)\u2014Blake Griffin<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> played his entire rookie season like a man making up for lost time.<\/p>\n

Now that the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a>\u2019 dynamic dunker has been named the league\u2019s top rookie in a landslide, he\u2019s already thinking about ways to improve on a delayed NBA debut that was well worth the wait.<\/p>\n

Griffin accepted the Rookie of the Year award on Wednesday, becoming the NBA\u2019s first unanimous choice for the award in 21 years.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 overall draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2009 missed all of the 2009-10 season after breaking his kneecap in the Clippers\u2019 final preseason game. But Griffin returned with one of the most impressive debut campaigns in a generation. Griffin frequently thought back to that season in limbo while picking up his award during a party at the Clippers\u2019 training complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo miss my entire first year and then be able to be up here today is definitely satisfying,\u201d Griffin said. \u201cWhen I got injured, I just decided I had to come back even better. I had to keep improving even while I couldn\u2019t play, and I dedicated myself to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin received every first-place vote from a panel of 118 media members, easily outdistancing Washington\u2019s John Wall<\/a>(notes)<\/a>.<\/span> The Clippers\u2019 22-year-old power forward is the first unanimous choice since San Antonio\u2019s David Robinson in 1990, and just the third in NBA history after Ralph Sampson in 1984. New Orleans\u2019 Chris Paul<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> came close in 2006, missing by one vote.<\/p>\n

Griffin led all rookies in scoring and rebounding while playing in all 82 games for the Clippers, finishing 12th in the entire NBA in scoring (22.5) and fourth in rebounds (12.1) while ranking second among rookies in assists (3.8).<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-10 Griffin was the NBA\u2019s first rookie All-Star since Yao Ming<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> in 2003, and he won the dunk contest at All-Star weekend in Staples Center with an iconic leap over a car.<\/p>\n

Although Griffin\u2019s aerial acrobatics made him a staple of nightly highlight reels with more than 200 dunks of varying viciousness, he\u2019s already at work in the offseason rounding into an even more complete player.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a highlight at any second of the game, but he\u2019s also smart enough to know that the fundamentals are the part that will make him better and help this team,\u201d Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. \u201cHe handles it very well. He has great humility and great character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin received a maximum 590 points in the voting, while Wall had 91 of the 118 second-place votes to finish with 295 points. New York\u2019s Landry Fields<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> received 12 second-place votes and 62 points, but finished fourth in the overall voting behind Sacramento\u2019s DeMarcus Cousins<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> who got 11 second-place votes and 81 points.<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s Gary Neal<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and Detroit\u2019s Greg Monroe<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> were the only other rookies receiving votes.<\/p>\n

Wall, the No. 1 pick last summer, tweeted his approval of Griffin\u2019s victory, saying: \u201cCongrats to the homie \u2026 well deserved!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cousins\u2019 teammate, Tyreke Evans<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> won the award with the Kings last season.<\/p>\n

Griffin was named the Western Conference\u2019s Rookie of the Month six times, becoming the first player to sweep that award since Paul did it with the Hornets five years ago. He\u2019s the first rookie to average 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> in 1999-00, and the only rookie among the league\u2019s top 45 scorers and top 20 rebounders.<\/p>\n

Griffin showed remarkable consistency, even during the dog days of the Clippers\u2019 18th non-winning season in 19 years. He had 63 games with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds, third-most in the NBA, including 27 straight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just the beginning of a career that\u2019s going to be very special, very fun to watch,\u201d Del Negro said. \u201cI\u2019ve had this date on my calendar since the first day I walked into the gym and saw Blake shooting baskets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin faded only briefly, going through a seven-game stretch in March without a double-double, but finished strong with his second triple-double in Los Angeles\u2019 season finale.<\/p>\n

Despite the 32-50 Clippers\u2019 struggles while missing the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 years, Griffin\u2019s fame soared as his freakish athleticism captured the basketball world\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has matured enough to know he doesn\u2019t have to win every game,\u201d said Griffin\u2019s father, Tommy, who coached his sons in high school in Oklahoma City. \u201cHe knows it\u2019s a long process about getting better every day, and then seeing where he is in a year or two years. That\u2019s just how Blake is. He\u2019s not ever going to be satisfied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin won over fans with a humble personality and a dry wit, which he showed off when comedian Norm MacDonald showed up at Griffin\u2019s news conference and warned the Clippers star about the curse of the Rookie of the Year award: Nobody has ever won it twice in a row.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try as hard as I can,\u201d Griffin said with a grin. \u201cThat\u2019s going on top of the goals for next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin is the first Clippers player to win the award since Terry Cummings won it with the San Diego Clippers in 1983. Adrian Dantley, Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio won the award during a five-year stretch with the Buffalo Braves, who moved to San Diego in 1978.<\/p>\n

Griffin shares general manager Neil Olshey\u2019s optimism about the Clippers\u2019 future, which includes ample salary cap space and a talented young roster featuring Eric Gordon<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> centers DeAndre Jordan<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and Chris Kaman<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> and fellow rookie Eric Bledsoe<\/a>(notes)<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited about where the Clippers are headed,\u201d Griffin said. \u201cWe just laid the foundation, and we can\u2019t wait until next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Link:
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LOS ANGELES (AP)\u2014 Blake Griffin (notes) played his entire rookie season like a man making up for lost time. Now that the Los Angeles Clippers \u2019 dynamic dunker has been named the league\u2019s top rookie in a landslide, he\u2019s already thinking about ways to improve on a delayed NBA debut that was well worth the wait. Griffin accepted the Rookie of the Year award on Wednesday, becoming the NBA\u2019s first unanimous choice for the award in 21 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-417732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nGriffin unanimously voted top rookie (AP) - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/05\/griffin-unanimously-voted-top-rookie-ap\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Griffin unanimously voted top rookie (AP) - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"LOS ANGELES (AP)\u2014 Blake Griffin (notes) played his entire rookie season like a man making up for lost time. 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