The Pistons’ forward is the team’s #1 option.
Over the past three seasons, no NBA player has disappeared from the spotlight as much as Blake Griffin.
The once-believed superstar had everything going for him when he with “Lob City” teams of the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 21.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and four assists per game from his rookie season up to the peak with ‘the big three’ in 2015. That was the year when LAC made a postseason run only to blow a 3-1 series lead to the Houston Rockets.
But Griffin’s surprise exit from Los Angeles spelled the end of the “Lob City” era. An injury bug suddenly became the main concern. In the following three seasons, he’s suited up for 58 percent of the team’s regular-season games. One reason: his physical game began taking a toll on his body. He lost the explosiveness to beat by defenders.
Griffin, many concluded, was no longer an all-star caliber player.
Today that conclusion seems premature and harsh. For one thing, Griffin put in a lot of work behind the scenes to change his playstyle. For another thing, he got a change of scenery.
Playing in a new city and in a new conference has done wonders for his game. Griffin has revitalized his career.
The most apparent change has been his offensive versatility. Coming into the pros, Griffin was seen as a pure slasher, a player without the ability to get better shot attempts. As a result, he was never able to take full advantage on the offensive end with the other LAC big man, Deandre Jordan.
But, today, Griffin is able to do so much more with the ball in his hands.
For his part, Drummond has never come close to developing a game from mid-range and beyond. But, with Griffin, he has options. He can play on the perimeter when Drummond is down low. And he’s able to initiate the team’s offense from the top of the key.
ith Drummond’s uncanny ability to grab boards, the one-two punch with Griffin is the only such tandem in today’s NBA.
Evidence of things working is in the numbers. Griffin has done something that no other Piston has ever done–score 50 points with 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in one game. That historic performance has put Blake Griffin back in the national spotlight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArgHAjG6GlI
Blake Griffin has come full circle–from elite talent to something far less and, today, back to elite talent.
