Rowan Kavner
CHARLOTTE – One of the most influential people in Blake Griffin’s life sat on the baseline Monday night and watched the Clippers take on the Hornets in Charlotte.
Griffin said he knew his former coach at Oklahoma, Jeff Capel, would be in attendance, and Griffin was grateful for that. He said Capel helped shape his years in college, and it wasn’t only about basketball.
“Still, to this very day, we talk,” Griffin said. “I’ll call him for advice here and there. He’s got his own thing going on, and so do I, but we still make it a point to talk and keep in touch. It was great to see him here. It’s a friendship that I cherish.”
Capel was the head coach at VCU from 2002-06 before becoming the head coach at Oklahoma from 2006-11. He’s now an assistant and the associate head coach at Duke.
Here’s what Capel had to say about Griffin:
Where does Griffin rank among the players you’ve gotten to coach?
Capel: “He’s the best. There’s really no comparison. When you talk about talent, athleticism and skill, and when you add the work ethic that comes along, that was the thing that probably impressed me the most was just how hard he worked. I’m sure people that really understand basketball understand that.”
Where has developed most?
Capel: “Obviously shooting the basketball, which is something he’s really worked on. He’s been able to score, he’s always been a relentless rebounder, physically imposing, but really being able to shoot. I’ve always thought that he had a lot of things that he could do that people didn’t realize, because people were always just so wowed by his athleticism. I don’t think people really had ever really given him credit for all the things he can do. He can really pass. I think people started to see that as the Clippers became a better team and there was better talent around him. He really understands the game. He’s really smart. All of those things I think are what people are starting to see now.”
Does it surprise you at all just how far he’s gotten from when you first coached him?
Capel: “No, it doesn’t. That’s something I’m asked about a lot, and people usually say, ‘You’re probably surprised.’ I’m not. I remember the first time I saw him was in Houston, Texas, at the Kingwood Classic AAU Tournament in April 2007, I think it was. I knew right then that he had a chance to be one of the great ones. The more I got to know him throughout the recruiting process, then when I coached him, you see his work ethic and you knew, OK, he really has a chance to be a special player.”
Do you think you have to be a “stretch 4” at his size and position to be a star in the league?
Capel: “I don’t think you necessarily have to have that, but I think you have to be able to change. You have to show constant improvement, and that’s what he’s done throughout his career.”
How hard is it for a player at his level to change his game while keeping the best parts?
Capel: “It’s hard if you fight change. One of the things the really good players understand is in order to become better, you have to change. That’s what I mean about being smart. You can’t stay the same. You have to constantly add things. I think if you look at his career so far since he’s been in the NBA, he’s constantly adding. His free throw percentage has gone up, he’s been able to hit 15-, 17-feet shots consistently. That’s improved. Obviously his strength, his athleticism, all of those things have stayed the same, but understanding just how to get his shot and scoring opportunities, really understanding the team concept, the passing, I think that’s what people are beginning to see.”
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