The Detroit Pistons have been an odd team this NBA season. They have some impressive victories, defeating the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. While those are indeed great wins, they are basically all the wins the team has this season.
Detroit is in last place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 8-19. Outside of free-agent signings Jeremy Grant and Mason Plumlee, the team isn’t getting much production from anywhere else. Arguably the biggest disappointment has been Blake Griffin.
It was not long ago that Griffin was an All-Star carrying the Pistons into the playoffs. It was the 2018-19 season in which he averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game. Since then, his game has fallen off a cliff because of a multitude of injuries.
Griffin has appeared in only 38 games since and looks like a shell of himself. He is averaging only 13.8 points per game and has been inefficient doing it, making only 35.8 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from beyond the arc. He is chipping in 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Things have gotten to the point that Griffin will no longer be playing on the court. He and the organization agreed to work on a resolution of his playing future, whether it is via buyout or trade.
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Griffin is expected to have a major market if he is indeed bought out. However, one NBA executive warns buyer beware with his assessment.
“He’s looked so bad this year,” an executive for a current Western Conference playoff team told HoopsHype. “It would take a leap of faith that it’s more the environment and him not trying than his body totally failing, but it doesn’t look good when you watch him.”
It is hard to believe that his body isn’t failing him at this point. He is only 31-years old, but he has not dunked in a game since 2019. His explosiveness and athleticism we saw on display nightly with the LA Clipper are no more, as he is playing on the perimeter more and more.
There will undoubtedly be a team that takes a shot on him hoping that Griffin was just saving himself for a better opportunity. Bringing Griffin in could be a move that pushes a contender toward their championship aspirations.
