The Detroit Pistons (23-26) snapped their 8-game losing streak on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tonight, all eyes will be on Blake Griffin as he plays his first game for Detroit against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-31).
The Pistons are coming off an exciting 125-114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was one of their most balanced performances of the season, in what many expected to be a loss given the roster situation.
Anthony Tolliver and Reggie Bullock both started and provided over 20 points each, and Andre Drummond chipped in with 21 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 assists. However, the man of the night was Stanley Johnson. His career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds propelled the Pistons, while also showing what he is capable of providing on a nightly basis.
Now, 72 long hours after the blockbuster deal that sent Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley to the Clippers, 5-time All-Star Blake Griffin will make his debut in the Motor City. When asked about what he told Griffin in terms of his aggressiveness, Stan Van Gundy had this to say:
"“My only point to him is I don’t want that ‘trying to fit in thing’ to be what he does on the court…he needs to just play his game. That’s why we brought him here.”"
So far this season, virtually every possession has been run through Andre Drummond, either from touches on the elbow or pick and rolls with Drummond as the screener. The addition of Griffin will likely change this, and it will be interesting to see how the offense flows.
Also, there are some wrinkles that Van Gundy could look to use. Griffin is an exceptional ball handler for his size and capable of handling pick and rolls with Drummond. As far as the rotation is concerned, Van Gundy said:
"“We haven’t decided all that yet, but I do think there’s times where they’ll both be on the floor together. But I think I would like to stagger it where most of the time, at least one of them’s out there on the floor.”"
Obviously, Griffin and Drummond will start each half on the floor together. However, staggering minutes in other parts of the game could allow Griffin to play some center.
Looking at Memphis, they will be on the second game of a back-to-back, after falling to Indiana 105-101 on Wednesday. It has been a terrible week for the Grizzlies; first, their star point guard Mike Conley was lost for the season due to a heel injury. He had successful surgery on Wednesday. Then, Adrian Wojnarowski provided some fairly big news on another Memphis player.
As trade discussions involving Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans intensify, front office plans to sit him out until a deal is completed, league sources tell ESPN. He'll start sitting vs. Pacers tonight. Trade deadline is next Thursday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 31, 2018
This leaves the Grizzlies with a probable starting five of Andrew Harrison, Wayne Selden, Dillon Brooks, Jarell Martin, and Marc Gasol. Gasol is the only proven NBA player out of the bunch.
Next: Video review of the Blake Griffin trade
On paper, this is a very winnable game for the Pistons. As February rolls around, games start to matter more and more as the playoff race heats up, and it will be important to pick up a win before welcoming in the Miami Heat for a Saturday showdown. Tip-off for “The Debut” is at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Detroit.