Blake Griffin continues to be only consistency for Detroit Pistons
By Travis Gibbs
There are many reasons why the Detroit Pistons are struggling right now. Blake Griffin is definitely not one of them.
The Detroit Pistons have lost three straight games and have dropped to 13-10 on the season. In a week, they’ve went from fourth to sixth in the eastern conference standings.
A big reason for that is the team’s offensive woes. They’re currently dead last in the league in field goal percentage (42.9) and 29th in three-point field goal percentage (31.6).
They’re also 29th in the league in assists per game (21.6).
Why are the Pistons struggling so much on offense? It seems like everyone on the team has relied on Blake Griffin to do everything for them on that end of the floor.
He draws double teams, giving shooters on the perimeter an opportunity to succeed and no one has managed to do that.
Even though opposing defenses are placing their complete focus on him, Griffin is still succeeding.
Last night, he scored 31 points along with 12 rebounds and six assists. That effort still wasn’t enough to get a win.
This season, Griffin is averaging 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists per game. He leads the Pistons in points per game, assists per game, and three-point percentage.
That last stat has to be the most surprising. He’s shooting a career-high percentage from outside this season. He’s posted a true shooting percentage of 57 percent this season as well.
His 29.8 usage percentage should tell you all you need to know about the Pistons offense.
Blake Griffin is basically the only reason the Pistons are where they are right now. He’s doing everything he possibly can to will this team to victory on a nightly basis.
It’s beginning to take a toll on him as well. It was obvious that Griffin was running on fumes by the end of the game last night.
The Pistons desperately need to find others to contribute in offense on a nightly basis.
I didn’t expect Blake Griffin to be playing this well this season. For the Detroit Pistons sake, let’s hope he continues this type of play.