By all accounts, Blake Griffin has had a fantastic rookie season. He has made the Clippers, a perennial NBA doormat, a must-see team. He already owns the Los Angeles Clippers record for rebounds in a season, and that's everyone, not just rookies. Griffin had 35 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday night's loss in Oklahoma City, pushing his season rebound total to 960.
↵The Clippers last had a 1,000-rebound season in 1980-1981, when Swen Nater cleaned the glass while the team was in San Diego. Nater had three four-digit rebound seasons for the Clippers, and is one of three players in franchise history to grab 1,000 rebounds:
↵| 1,000 Rebound Seasons, Clippers Franchise History | ↵||||
| Player | ↵Season | ↵Team | ↵Rebounds | ↵RPG | ↵
| Swen Nater | ↵1980-81 | ↵SD | ↵1,017 | ↵12.4 | ↵
| Swen Nater | ↵1979-80 | ↵SD | ↵1,216 | ↵15.0 | ↵
| Swen Nater | ↵1977-78 | ↵Buf | ↵1,029 | ↵13.2 | ↵
|
Bob McAdoo | ↵1974-75 | ↵Buf | ↵1,155 | ↵14.1 | ↵
| Bob McAdoo | ↵1973-74 | ↵Buf | ↵1,117 | ↵15.1 | ↵
| Elmore Smith | ↵1971-72 | ↵Buf | ↵1,184 | ↵15.2 | ↵
| Source: Basketball-Reference.com | ↵||||
Griffin has three games remaining, and needs 40 boards, and average of 13.3 per game, to reach 1,000. Here are Griffin's rebound totals against the remaining Clippers schedule:
↵- ↵
- Dallas: three games, 12.3 rpg ↵
- Houston: three games, 14.3 rpg
↵ - Memphis: three games, 11.3 rpg ↵
It looks like Griffin has his work cut out for him to reach the 1,000-rebound plateau. He might need a Michael Cage-type effort on the season's final day to reach that milestone.
↵For more news and information on the Clippers or tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Clips Nation.