With Griffin, Detroit steps back into the NBA spotlight.
It didn’t take much time for Griffin to adjust to his new team. The Pistons are on a roll, winners of four consecutive games, three with Griffin playing.
Courtesy: SB Nation
Griffin is averaging 20.3 points, 6 assists, and 8.7 rebounds in his first three games with the Pistons. In the team’s most recent win against the Trail Blazers Monday night, Griffin posted 21 points, nine rebounds, and had six assists.
“This is the perfect time for us to try to make our run, right before the All-Star Break,” Langston Galloway said in his postgame interview. “A lot of teams are trying to separate right now, so we’ve got to keep battling, keep getting wins, and finish out this stretch.”
The Pistons are positioned for the playoffs now that Griffin is on the roster. But the problem is they aren’t there yet. As of February 6, Detroit is playing .500 ball and in 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons are confident, though, with Griffin in the fold and Andre Drummond’s continuing improvement.
The Pistons also hope that Reggie Jackson will return soon.
Jackson is reportedly practicing his shot, but still not moving that well. “The plan right now is, hopefully, he’ll be able to run over the All-Star Break,” said Pistons’ coach Stan Van Gundy. “They’ll get him on the Alter-G, running on lesser body weight, but I don’t think he’ll be cutting by then. It’s all a buildup. That’s the hope, that 15th through 21st, he’ll be running.”
Jackson’s contribution is needed. In thirty-three games this season, he’s averaging 14.6, 5.5 assists, and hitting 34% from beyond the arc.
To be realistic, the Pistons aren’t expected to go deep in the playoffs this year–even if Jackson returns. But this team is definitely primed for the future. Future success, that is….
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All data updated as of February 6. Sources: MSN.com, DetroitNews.com,
CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports.
