Over the first two months of the NBA season as one Rocket after another was injured, coach Rudy Tomjanovich expressed the feeling that while unfortunate, the situation would provide an opportunity for the younger members of the team to gain experience.

But Griffin over the last seven games in particular, has demonstrated the roll of the dice Tomjanovich and the Rockets' hierarchy made on draft day last summer is apt to pay huge dividends in the near future.

With Kenny Thomas experiencing difficulty first with a sprained wrist and then a bothersome groin, Griffin was pressed into a starting role for six games.