Blogs > Deitch on the 76ers
Daily Times staff writer Dennis Deitch covers the 76ers
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Collins on Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin is putting up huge numbers in Take 2 of his rookie season with the Clippers, but the top overall pick of the 2009 draft is playing for a team that entered Wednesday night 5-20 with no road wins.
Doug Collins was the top overall pick in a draft, had an early injury issue like Griffin (who missed all of last season with a shredded knee) and was drafted by a team that had the worst record in NBA history. So he can relate to Griffin in a lot of ways. However, when it comes to the notion that it's a curse when a top pick puts up big numbers for a terrible team, Collins doesn't buy it.
"I didn't put up huge numbers like he is (as a rookie)," Collins said, "but three, four years after I got here we were in the NBA Finals. So I think that curse stuff can be overrated. What you have to do is put some good seasons together. Blake is a terrific player, and (the Clippers) have some talent. They've just been snake-bitten by some injuries. (Chris) Kaman has been hurt, Baron Davis has been out ..."
Doug Collins was the top overall pick in a draft, had an early injury issue like Griffin (who missed all of last season with a shredded knee) and was drafted by a team that had the worst record in NBA history. So he can relate to Griffin in a lot of ways. However, when it comes to the notion that it's a curse when a top pick puts up big numbers for a terrible team, Collins doesn't buy it.
"I didn't put up huge numbers like he is (as a rookie)," Collins said, "but three, four years after I got here we were in the NBA Finals. So I think that curse stuff can be overrated. What you have to do is put some good seasons together. Blake is a terrific player, and (the Clippers) have some talent. They've just been snake-bitten by some injuries. (Chris) Kaman has been hurt, Baron Davis has been out ..."