I’m not sure whether or not this is a huge problem, or just a close-knit group of players arguing like any brothers would. Either way, reports are coming out of Los Angeles that Clippers big men Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have gotten into a notable argument while on the bench during games. Also, it appears that Jordan wants nothing to do with head coach Vinny Del Negro. T.J. Simmers of the LA Times elaborates below.
The feel-good Clippers are gone, with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin’s immaturity dragging the team down.
Jordan wants nothing to do with Coach Vinny Del Negro because he blames Del Negro for burying him on the bench.
He (Jordan) wants the ball like any great player, but when it doesn’t go to him, he pouts. He’s 24. Most of the time the ball goes to Griffin, but he’s concerned only about the times when it doesn’t.
The other night in Sacramento, Griffin and Jordan exchanged words on the bench. Griffin told Jordan he best never again stare him down as he did when Griffin failed to give Jordan a good pass for a dunk.
Everyone else was left to sit there while waiting for the kids to stop bickering.”
Perhaps the most surprising? The two also seem to have grown weary of Chris Paul.
The pair have also grown tired of Chris Paul’s voice, which is understandable at times.
Paul, very much like Kobe Bryant — who has turned off Dwight Howard with his out-of-this-world standards — is relentless. He never shuts up. And Jordan and Griffin have become weary of him.
When asked about being annoying, Paul smiled and said, “I need to work on being a better leader.”
Problems in Lob City? We’ll have to see how this translates on the court moving forward for the Clippers.
Worth noting, Chris Paul is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. With these problems in the locker room starting to surface, are we really all completely sure it is a foregone conclusion CP3 is going to re-sign with the Clippers?