Griffin news boosts Clippers

It looks as if Los Angeles Clippers fans can breathe a sigh of relief after doctors cleared No 1 pick Blake Griffin to work out with the team after a shoulder injury had threatened to rule him out of the start of the season next month.

The Clippers must have been, as usual, feeling a little snake bitten when Griffin, the big body they needed so badly, strained his shoulder back in July playing in the Las Vegas Summer League.

But Griffin did more than enough in summer action to show exactly what he is going to bring to the Clips, who have suffered as Los Angeles’ second team just about forever – sure they will again this season but the shoots of optimism might just begin to sprout by the end of 2010.

He averaged 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds and showed against some fringe NBA players from next season that he should be able to bash the boards as he did to such effect at Oklahoma last season.

The Clippers’ off-season moves, getting rid of the utterly useless (in terms of work-rate and anything but scoring) Zach Randolph, cleared Griffin to become part of what could be a tough to beat inside trio along with Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby.

But, sadly for future projections, all three of them have the same problem – durability. Griffin has already been hurt since coming out of the college game and both Kaman and Camby are well known for missing stretches of time throughout their career.

If, and it’s a big if, all three can stay fit then there is even a chance they could make up some of the 29 games that they were out of the playoff hunt last season because, if their application matches their talent level, they should be a contender.

The problem – this is the Clippers we are talking about!

Basketball betting suggests that they usually find a way to make a mess of things but this should really be a top 16 team based solely on previous performances (usually not in a Clippers jersey) and the depth that they also have to make use of at the Staples Center this season.