The reeling Detroit Pistons – who’ll be short-handed following last night’s trade – host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The Detroit Pistons (22-26), losers of eight straight, play the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-19) tonight, but the far more interesting storyline is happening off the court.
Last night, the Pistons acquired Blake Griffin from the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade that shook up the status quo.
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Trade recap:
- Clippers get: Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, Pistons’ 2018 first-round pick, Pistons’ 2019 second-round pick
- Pistons get: Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, Willie Reed
It’s a doozy of a deal, and one that will be carefully dissected over the coming days.
Griffin, 28, is one of five players in the NBA averaging over 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game this season, the others being LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and DeMarcus Cousins (who’s now out for the season). There’s no denying his talent, but he’s got a long injury history and a gigantic contract.
Unfortunately for the Pistons on Tuesday, Griffin, along with Johnson and Reed, will almost certainly not be in uniform. They need to pass physicals before they’re cleared to play, which isn’t likely to happen before tonight’s game. This means Detroit will be short-handed against a Cleveland team that beat them 121-104 on Sunday night. You might as well chock this one up as loss right now.
The Griffin and Andre Drummond duo will try to mount a last-ditch run to the postseason after tonight, but the Pistons have been gone 3-12 since Reggie Jackson injured his ankle on December 26 and haven’t won a basketball game since January 10.
The circumstances have certainly changed in a gigantic way in the past 24 hours. And, this game against Cleveland marks the beginning of a six-game homestand. If there’s any room left for optimism for the 2017-2018 season, it’s now or never.
Next: Detroit Pistons land Blake Griffin in blockbuster trade
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons tip off from Little Caesars Arena at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the game being televised on TNT, but the real entertainment is what happens after tonight.