Only two players – LeBron James and Kevin Durant – can realistically win the NBA MVP this season, and Blake Griffin knows it. This doesn’t mean, however, that the Clippers All-Star forward has been anything less than spectacular. Per the LA Times:
It was an interesting question for Blake Griffin to answer.
Do you feel you are at an MVP status based on your recent accomplishments and performances for the Clippers?
“Naw, I think the MVP race is a two-man race,” Griffin responded.
But Griffin has joined the conversation as an MVP candidate — even if he and others are considered to be in the next tier behind Durant and James.
Griffin was sixth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game before the Clippers played the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
He had scored 20-plus points in 26 consecutive games before the Clippers played the Nuggets, averaging 27.3 points on 55.2% shooting during that stretch.
He was 13th in the league in rebounding, averaging 9.7. He was 14th in field-goal percentage, making 53.5% of his shots. He was tied for fifth in double-doubles with 38.
“This stretch of games that we’ve played, we’ve been successful,” said Griffin, who was named the Western Conference player of the week by the NBA on Monday for the week of March 10-16. “It’s been a huge team effort. Jamal Crawford was playing out of his mind until he got hurt.
“Guys have stepped up and really done their part. So with our team, I don’t think it’s one guy that is making us go. I genuinely believe it’s been a total effort.”
