Ranking the Top 5 Most High-Risk, High-Reward NBA Players

4. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Apr 30, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies in game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Griffin is a Los Angeles Clippers mainstay, and a very valuable player to them. He’s got a perfectly respectable Player Efficiency Rating, at 22.44.  But hear me out here.

The guy is a human highlight reel, and his dunking ability has made him a staple of ESPN Top 10’s ever since he entered the league after missing out on his true rookie season. That doesn’t make him a sound basketball player, though. He averages 2.4 turnovers a game, which is not particularly worrying. What is, however, is that he can’t seem to shoot over 66 percent from the free throw line, despite being hailed as one of the league’s premier power forwards.

Over this season, he logged 14 technical fouls, tied for third in the league with Larry Sanders and Carmelo Anthony. Some of his dunks are questionable, and seem to be offensive fouls, with him using his elbow on the defender to push himself higher.  His fundamental game isn’t as sound as it should be, and his greatest criticism is that his highlight game is his only game.

Still, he’s can absolutely explode. He feeds off of Chris Paul’s play, and that duo has turned them into the current incarnation of “Lob City.”  Until his fundamental game improves, however, he’ll remain one of the riskier impact players out there. But there remains a pretty high reward.