HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Clippers are in trouble. They got their 50th win of this storybook season Wednesday night, a franchise record, but internal problems seriously threaten their chances for extraordinary postseason success. The feel-good Clippers are gone, with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin's immaturity dragging the team down. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan 

Griffin is Jordan's buddy, and still a kid. His development has been sabotaged by his inability to accept criticism of any sort. It helps explain why he's always at odds with the referees. He's never done anything wrong, as he sees it, so why are they blowing a whistle and calling him out? He takes a punishment when he plays, and right now he's playing hurt. But he reacts like a kid when done wrong, looking for the opportunity to get even while giving no regard to how that might affect his team's performance. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan 

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. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan 

Earlier in the game, Dragic was on the floor in the lane when Clippers star Blake Griffin stood over him with his legs straddling Dragic’s body. P.J. Tucker came over to push Griffin off Dragic. “Maybe that was the plan — to try to get me frustrated,” Dragic said. “Blake does this kind of thing a lot. It’s not the first time. He didn’t step on me. He just stood over me.” Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Goran Dragic 

They are the fourth-worst team in defending the 3-pointer, allowing teams to shoot 37.8 percent, and are letting teams hit close to 50 percent from 3-point range in their 22 losses. "Our bigs are getting stretched out a little bit," Del Negro said. "They have to have a little sense of urgency in closing out. Some guys can make that adjustment, and some guys are struggling with that but drilled it again today. That's obviously an area of concern." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

Clippers forward Blake Griffin disagreed with Del Negro. "It depends on our defensive strategy and our defensive principles for that game," Griffin said. "We switch them every single game. I don't see that, no, but I'm biased." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

This time, it was Brandon Knight. A year ago, it was the Clippers' Blake Griffin dunking on Kendrick Perkins. As a center, Perkins is bigger, stronger, and that makes Griffin's dunk more impressive. They gave Perkins this treatment, too. Even now, he still comes back for more. "If I was in the same position, in the same rotation, I'm going to jump again and again and again," Perkins told Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears. "A lot of people are afraid of humiliation or don't know how to handle embarrassment or would even get embarrassed. I don't care. Yahoo! Sports

Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Brandon Knight 

"That's my job. How will my teammates look at me if next time I just back out of the way and just let him dunk when I'm supposed to be defensive-minded, a shot-blocker? That would be a coward move on me. "He'd just have to dunk on me again." Yahoo! Sports

Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Brandon Knight 

Chris Paul: I'm definitely gonna let @Jamal Crawford and @Blake Griffin finish......but @DeAndre Jordan has the BEST DUNK of the year!!! (Kanye Voice) Twitter @CP3

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, DeAndre Jordan 

Some checking with the league office this week revealed that Stu Jackson & Co. deemed Ibaka's contact with Griffin's, uh, groin area to be unintentional. The league view, I'm told, is that Ibaka was slapping at an arm that Griffin unexpectedly pulled away, leading to the painful connection and thus distinguishing the play from the "groin altercations" that earned Wade and DeMarcus Cousins suspensions earlier this season. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, Referees, Stu Jackson 

Griffin said he wants to play for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Griffin, who will be 24 on March 16, was unable to play on the gold medal-winning 2012 team in London because he suffered a left knee injury during a U.S. team practice that required surgery. "Yeah, absolutely, it's something that I want to do," Griffin said. "Obviously it's a great honor. I was really looking forward to playing last year. It was very disappointing not being able to be there. I kind of turned my sights to getting back healthy. So my next goal for that is 2016." Los Angeles Times

Blake Griffin, USA Basketball, Brazil 

Griffin said he hasn't been approached recently by anyone from the USA Basketball, but figures it will happen soon. "They talked about it last summer when I got hurt, about me coming back and being involved in the process over the next four summers," Griffin said. Los Angeles Times

Blake Griffin, USA Basketball, Brazil 

Griffin said he wants to play for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Griffin, who will be 24 on March 16, was unable to play on the gold medal-winning 2012 team in London because he suffered a left knee injury during a U.S. team practice that required surgery. "Yeah, absolutely, it's something that I want to do," Griffin said. "Obviously it's a great honor. I was really looking forward to playing last year. It was very disappointing not being able to be there. I kind of turned my sights to getting back healthy. So my next goal for that is 2016." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, USA Basketball, Olympics 

Griffin said he hasn't been approached recently by anyone from the USA Basketball, but figures it will happen soon. "They talked about it last summer when I got hurt, about me coming back and being involved in the process over the next four summers," Griffin said. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, USA Basketball, Olympics 

Creativity is one way to explain what Crawford did as soon as he got the ball in his hands. With Griffin trailing him, Crawford didn’t even take a dribble as he lofted the ball up with his right hand, brought it between his legs in midair before leaving it perfectly placed in front of the rim for Griffin. “I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do,” Crawford said. “We had a whole open court and the best jumper in the world right there and you might as well get creative. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do in a game or if I ever made the All-Star Game.” ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford 

“I honestly had no idea what he was going to do,” Griffin said, sounding similar to Crawford when describing the play. “I thought he was going to throw it off the backboard. Normally in situation like that you’re looking at each other like, ‘What are you going to do?’ But he didn’t even look back and I was just kind of stuck out there. And I saw him do his little between the legs and I’ve seen that before in practice so I just tried to finish.” ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford 

Blake Griffin: Kid Blake: Who are you? Future Blake: you from the future... Don't listen to anything else I've told you just start wearing a cup. Twitter @blakegriffin32

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

LeBron James: So explain to me the difference? My teammate gets a 1 game suspension and 150k+ taking away from him for his groin altercation #strangetome Twitter @KingJames

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

Dwyane Wade: All I can say is WoW....no pun intended but really....and I get suspended and lose 200 grand... #someexplainingtodo Twitter @DwyaneWade

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

Matt Barnes: You can INTENTIONALLY grab or hit someone in the balls & not get suspended, but you push someone & get suspended. #ImConfused Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Matt Barnes, Serge Ibaka