The Duke Chronicle Looks At AJ Griffin

You don't have to watch a lot of video to understand that freshman AJ Griffin is really athletic. He’s strong, he can move from one place to another in a big damn hurry and he gets off the floor.

But lots of guys can do those things. We quit talking about Baby Jordan for a reason.

The great thing about Griffin is that he appears to marry his considerable athletic gifts to competitive desire. Assuming that he continues to work hard, there are no real limits on his potential.

In the Duke Chronicle’s series, Film room: Analyzing Duke men’s basketball (fill in the blank), Max Rego looks at Griffin and, as we said, you don’t have to look too long to see it:

“With the ball in his hands, the New York native can make things happen in a hurry, utilizing a blend of slick ball-handling, an ability to change gears quickly and lethal explosiveness to get to his spots with ease. Add in a smooth jumper—one that should only improve with practice and real-time reps—and you’ve got a guy that can sleepwalk off the team bus and drop 20 against elite college competition.“

That’s about right.

Mike Krzyzewski said several years ago that almost all NBA players are in supporting roles.

Griffin is a guy whose only limitation is how hard he’s willing to work and how professional he truly strives to be. Every player has strengths and weaknesses, and we’re sure Griffin does too, but he has a rare level of talent. We’re expecting great things from him.