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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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 OPINION 
4

Sorry, Blake Griffin—No. 1 NBA Picks Usually Bomb

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(Newser) – Power forward Blake Griffin is almost certainly the No. 1 pick in tonight’s NBA draft, and that scares the bejesus out of Griffin fan Gregg Doyel. “Superstars as the No. 1 pick are the exception to the rule,” Doyel writes on CBS Sports.com, conceding the point of LeBron James. In fact, "No. 1 overall draft picks tend to suck." And there’s a ton of data to back that up.

“Three of the last four picks have been monumentally bad,” Doyel writes, citing in particular the case of Greg Oden in 2007. “He made sense at No. 1, right up until the point when he didn't.” And many years produce players lower in the draft that far outmatch the top picks. “So if Blake Griffin is the no-brainer No. 1 pick in this draft, that concerns me,” Doyel concludes. “NBA teams haven't shown a lot of brains.”

NBA draft prospect Blake Griffin, of Oklahoma.
NBA draft prospect Blake Griffin, of Oklahoma.   (AP Photo)
Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin hits his head on the backboard as he shoots against Syracuse.
Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin hits his head on the backboard as he shoots against Syracuse.   (AP Photo)
Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin.
Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin.   (AP Photo)
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin.
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin.   (AP Photo)
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This can't happen to Blake Griffin. He plays ruthlessly hard, coldly efficient like Ivan Lendl or Ivan Drago. Griffin can't become the next punch line to the joke that is the NBA Draft. I'm not finished laughing at Kwame Brown. - Gregg Doyel

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4 comments
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cnguyen
Jun 25, 09 4:58 PM CDT
Derick Rose, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin. 5 of the last ten first overall draft picks. I'd put my money down on Griffin. Reply
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cnguyen
Jun 25, 09 5:03 PM CDT
Oops miscounted. I mean 6 of the last 10.
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+1
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godawgs
Jun 25, 09 6:07 PM CDT
agree with all except that k-mart might just be marginal #1 pick
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-1
anchower
Jun 26, 09 1:36 AM CDT
Eight of the last thirteen, counting Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. Well over half means something other than "Superstars as the No. 1 pick are the exception to the rule." Reply
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