Blake Griffin and his new team the Detroit Pistons are set to take on the Memphis Grizzles tonight at 4 pm. Tonight marks Griffin's first game as a Detroit Piston and he will embark on a new journey in his career. Piston fans everywhere are very excited for Griffin to hit the ground running, and he is expected to bring a new dynamic and certain toughness to this team. He brings a great sense of leadership and veteran IQ that will help in the playoffs if the Pistons make it, due to Griffin's consistent six-year appearance in the Western Conference playoffs.
What does Blake Griffin bring to this team?
Blake Griffin is a great player that can help any team win. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA player. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is excited to see how Griffin and All-Star Andre Drummond mesh. Blake Griffin is a playmaker and great scorer. He will make scoring and rebounding a lot easier for Drummond because Griffin draws a lot of attention when he's on the court. The ex-Clipper demands double teams when he is posting up or driving to the basket because of his athleticism and brute strength. Blake Griffin is a player who can potentially end up with a triple-double on any given night because of how unselfish he is when he sees an open teammate waiting to shoot a corner three.
He is averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists this season. There is a strong possibility that his assist count may go up because of Drummond's capability to score at will in the post.
Pistons' newfound playoff race
The Pistons' season seemed grim before this blockbuster trade. They have been riddled with injuries to many of their players.
Their starting point guard, Reggie Jackson (grade 3 ankle sprain), who has been out of commission since December 27th, was supposed to help bring this team closer to their playoff aspirations. Another player that has been in and out of the lineup is forward Stanley Johnson, who has had a lingering hip injury. He is an important piece now because the Pistons traded away their star forward Tobias Harris.
On the other hand, Griffin will help pick up the slack through playing extended minutes.
Everyone on the court knows what Griffin brings to this team, and now, the Pistons embark on a new journey to close in on this close playoff race between them, the Philadelphia Sixers and New York Knicks. From the looks of it, the Pistons need a couple more acquisitions before the trade deadline passes because of their lack of depth in both point guards and shooting guards. As of right now, the Pistons are on the right path to become a threat in the Eastern Conference with Griffin and Drummond running the team.
