No. 1 Pick Griffin Debuts Strong For Clippers In Summer League

July 14, 2009 7:19 p.m. EST

Las Vegas, NV (AHN) - Blake Griffin showed why he was the top selection in the draft, keying the Los Angeles Clippers' 93-82 win over the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night in the NBA Summer League.

The 6-foot-9 Oklahoma standout scattered a game-high 27 points and pulled down 12 boards in a fantastic debut that had the Clippers in an upbeat mode.

Griffin proved to have quite an arsenal up his jersey sleeves, shooting jumpers, driving to the basket and draining a 3-point shot.

He also made his first eight shots in the game and looked comfortable under coach Mike Dunleavy's offense.

Griffin is expected to bring promise to a team that has been battered by failed expectations year in year out. The Clippers made a huge splash last summer by plucking Baron Davis and Marcus Camby.

One bright spot they had was rookie Eric Gordon, who thrived as a starter and went on to average 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his NBA debut.

Still, the injuries mounted and the opposition breezed past them, handing the Clippers a horrible 19-63 mark that was their worst record since a 15-win season in 2000.