LAC & MN Showcase Dynamic Point Guard/Power Forward Tandems (Videos)
The point guard/power forward tandems of Chris Paul/Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Ricky Rubio/Kevin Love of the Timberwolves have completely transformed two previously dormant franchises into among the most entertaining and improved teams in the NBA. Entering Wednesday, the Clippers are 22-14, good for third place in the Western Conference and the Wolves are 20-19, just one game out of the eighth playoff spot in the West.
Last season, Griffin and Love both became legitimate NBA stars. Griffin won Rookie of the Year honors, based in large measure to his endless supply of incredible dunks. Love transformed into a double-double machine, while leading the league in rebounding.
During this past offseason, Chris Paul was traded from New Orleans to the Clippers, while Rubio finally came over from Spain to sign with the Wolves. These acquisitions meant that Griffin and Love each had the dynamic, playmaking point guards they needed.
Off the court, the excitement levels of both fan-bases totally changed as a result of these moves, while NBA fans and the national media began to focus attention on these teams that are used to living outside of the spotlight.
For both Chris Paul's arrival in Los Angeles and Ricky Rubio's first press conference in the NBA, iFolloSports.com was on hand to chronicle each big event, capturing original video and photos.
Below is more recent iFollosports.com original video of Griffin warming up at Staples Center in LA, prior to last week's game against the Wolves.
The second piece of below iFolloSports.com original video was taken at Target Center in Minneapolis, during halftime of the Wolves home game versus the Clippers on Monday night. The video shows Paul and Griffin warming up, while Rubio and Love casually walk over to their bench to take a look at the guys they are often compared to.
At the end of Monday night's game, Griffin received some heat from Wolves fans after almost “tackling” Minnesota guard Luke Ridnour, who had fouled him immediately before the incident.
The Clippers and Wolves have started to develop a bit of a rivalry, with Minnesota winning the first three very entertaining games played this season. The most notable contest took place early in the season, when Love knocked down a dramatic three-pointer at the buzzer in LA.
In addition to the team-wide battles, every time these clubs play, the Griffin vs. Love “best power forward in the NBA debate” really heats up.
This season, Griffin is averaging 21.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, with Love tallying 25.4 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.
With outstanding young nucleuses in place, these two teams have a great chance to be forces in the West for many years to come, along with the already outstanding Oklahoma City Thunder.
