Detroit Pistons
For the Pistons, this move seemed like an all-in type of deal by then coach and president Stan Van Gundy to attempt to save his job.
Did it work? Nope.
However, the Pistons did get another cornerstone piece in Griffin to pair with Andre Drummond, which is tough for a smaller market team like Detroit. Griffin has fully embraced his role there and is currently in the midst of one of his best seasons.
This Season
In 38 games, Griffin has put up 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. What is most impressive though is his ability to shoot the ball from deep. He’s now attempting just over six three pointers per game and is knocking them down at a respectable 36.2%. Griffin realized his game needed to change as he aged and has worked in order to make it happen.
Despite the individual success, Detroit sits at 17-22, just outside of the current playoff picture in the weaker Eastern Conference. The top five teams in the conference all could make arguments as championship contenders, but below that is a logjam of mediocrity that the Pistons are caught in the middle of.
While a playoff birth isn’t out of the question by any means, this team is more than likely a first round exit with no way of hanging with the likes of Milwaukee or Toronto.
Going Forward
This is where things get tricky. With Griffin and Drummond (and to a lesser extent, Reggie Jackson), the Pistons do not have any real options going into free agency this summer. The core group they have will likely be their core moving forward.
The team does have their first-round pick, but if they continue the push to make the playoffs, it likely will fall in the late lottery, which usually doesn’t help to move the needle.
Things get a little better in 2020-21 when Jackson comes off the books. Drummond will have a player option and should he choose not to exercise it, the team would only have Griffin on the books alongside Luke Kennard (who would still be on a rookie deal) and a couple of other players who were signed using the MLE. This is, assuming no other long term deals are signed in the interim.
The downside that season though is Blake will be 31 and there’s no telling how injuries will play out. We truly hope he can continue to play at a high level while remaining healthy, but the past is just not indicative of that being the case.
Detroit made the move to bring in a superstar and we cannot fault them for that. However, the move may have been a short-sighted one and didn’t really move the needle enough to justify giving up what they did, which brings us to the Clippers.