Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons Forward – Image: Getty
Blake Griffin isn’t jumping over cars anymore and that’s alright. He’s also no longer the NBA star most fans remember, and that’s alright too.
Because early in the 2018-19 NBA season, Griffin is dominating the game in a totally different way than he did in his previous chapter.
Last season, Griffin’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers quietly came to an end with a winter trade to the Detroit Pistons. There was logical reason to support any belief his best days were behind him. The 29-year old was hit hard by injuries in the latter portion of his time in Los Angeles. His star appeared to be fading.
Fast forward to this season, where the Pistons have a new head coach and Griffin’s looking like a player reborn.
Detroit’s 133-132 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Tuesday night, had the home crowd amped up. It also had NBA Hall of Famers, and all-time Pistons greats, Isiah Thomas and Grant Hill giving their nods of approval on NBA TV.
The question “Nature Boy” Ric Flair used to ask in some of his legendary promos was quite simply: “What’s causing all this?”
In this case, Blake Griffin is causing it.
He dropped a career-high 50 points on the 76ers, this included the game-winning driving layup for with the and-one.
The Pistons have improved to 3-0 on the season, Dwane Casey has them fully-engaged from start to finish. But it clearly starts and ends with the play of Griffin.
Perspective on Blake Griffin
This isn’t the “Lob City” version of Griffin, it’s instead a much more complete basketball player. He’s still athletic enough to put his opponent on the wrong side of a poster, but he’s now using that athleticism to fuel an all-around game peppered with maturity.
One takeaway from watching this game was how engaged Griffin was with his teammates. There was an intensity in his eyes during the crucial moments of the fourth quarter and overtime. Casey put the ball in Griffin’s hands, as the point forward, with the game on the line. He also appears comfortable in the role of team leader.
While with the Clippers, Griffin’s jump shot was a work in progress. His unbelievable athleticism, and charisma, masked the fact he was lacking an all-around game. Maybe it was all the injuries he had to go through, along with age, which forced him to embrace the work required for his game to evolve. It’s something we can all learn from, no matter what field of work we’re in. Evolution will happen, change isn’t always bad, and there will be times where it’s necessary.
Griffin has put the Pistons on his back in their first three games of the season. His 50-point performance was a statement game for himself and the team.
Griffin put the work in during the offseason. It remains to be seen if he can avoid the injuries which have derailed his playing career, but his hard work and willingness to evolve his game is paying off. The Pistons were in need of a star player to step in and lead them, they’re getting a highly motivated star in the prime of his career. This has all the makings of a hit in Motown.
