I haven't seen Griffin play yet but here are two takes from The Athletic. I fully expect him to be Blake Griffin. But the contract means the Mavs would need to deal Johnson and THJ. DFS would slot back to the three. Ripple effect would limit Kleber's minutes. Worth the risk?
Throw Griffin’s 3-of-11 shooting night out the window. I attribute his low efficiency more to rust than injury concerns. It’s been almost an entire year since Griffin has played in a game. He missed most of last season due to a lingering knee injury that required surgery. Griffin’s shot had a noticeable arc Friday. That wasn’t the case a year ago, when everything was as flat as he was as he essentially played on one leg. Friday, he made some of the best passes of the night, too. Griffin blew past rookie Obi Toppin for an and-1 layup early in the first half. Nothing about his performance signaled any concerns for his health.
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In 2010, Griffin returned from a broken kneecap to be named Rookie of the Year and an All-Star. In the summer of 2012, he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee ahead of the Olympics, only to become an NBA All-Star, again, the next season. In 2016, Griffin returned from a quad injury and maintained the same numbers as he did in years prior. Three years later, nine seasons deep into his NBA career and with a plethora of injuries to his name, Griffin earned a spot on the All-NBA team.
And since no one else will say it, I will: Griffin deserves the benefit of the doubt as this season begins. If others can look at his past health woes and declare them the end of the road, I can point to how he’s returned from these setbacks and infer there’s more path to travel.
As Pistons coach Dwane Casey said: “He’s ready to go.”
Throw Griffin’s 3-of-11 shooting night out the window. I attribute his low efficiency more to rust than injury concerns. It’s been almost an entire year since Griffin has played in a game. He missed most of last season due to a lingering knee injury that required surgery. Griffin’s shot had a noticeable arc Friday. That wasn’t the case a year ago, when everything was as flat as he was as he essentially played on one leg. Friday, he made some of the best passes of the night, too. Griffin blew past rookie Obi Toppin for an and-1 layup early in the first half. Nothing about his performance signaled any concerns for his health.
__________
In 2010, Griffin returned from a broken kneecap to be named Rookie of the Year and an All-Star. In the summer of 2012, he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee ahead of the Olympics, only to become an NBA All-Star, again, the next season. In 2016, Griffin returned from a quad injury and maintained the same numbers as he did in years prior. Three years later, nine seasons deep into his NBA career and with a plethora of injuries to his name, Griffin earned a spot on the All-NBA team.
And since no one else will say it, I will: Griffin deserves the benefit of the doubt as this season begins. If others can look at his past health woes and declare them the end of the road, I can point to how he’s returned from these setbacks and infer there’s more path to travel.
As Pistons coach Dwane Casey said: “He’s ready to go.”