Every Detroit Pistons’ best game of the 2018-19 season

Blake Griffin

After numerous injury-riddled seasons with the Clippers, Griffin finally found health with the Pistons and boy is it amazing what health can do. Griffin, who is known throughout the league primarily for his athleticism and gravity-defying dunks did not look like the Griffin we all have grown to know and love. The jaw dropping athletic dunks are now replaced by flashy handles and a smooth 3-point stroke.

Multiple times throughout the 2018-19 season Griffin would rise up for one of his patented slams, only to be denied by the rim or the player guarding him. Griffin’s body simply can’t get him up like it used to and Griffin knows this so for years he has been working on diversifying his game to be able to better stand the test of time.

While the Pistons would love to have Griffin when he had either his former or current playing style, this new all-around game makes him the perfect pairing for Drummond and the Pistons. Griffin had the ball in his hands a lot this season. His 30 percent usage rate ranked 15th in the NBA this season and when your starting point guard is as injury prone and erratic as Jackson can be this is a huge luxury.

Griffin regularly took the ball up the floor and initiated offense for the Pistons leaving Jackson as more of a scorer and less as a play maker, where we have seen he can make poor decisions at times. Griffin can score in and outside of the three point arc. If the Pistons absolutely needed a bucket they could always throw it inside to Griffin and he would use his strong build, wide array of post moves, and soft touch to get the job done.

If they needed a 3-pointer, Griffin was more than capable of hitting spot up jumpers (36 percent from three) or using his handles to create his own shot. Griffin had been working on his jump shot and handles for quite sometime now but I don’t think Pistons fans were at all expecting them to be this good.

Griffin is out there at times looking like a guard with how he handles and shoots the ball. Big men simply just are not supposed to be capable of doing things like that, and yet Griffin is.

The Pistons took a risk when they acquired Griffin for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a first round, and a second round pick.

While some fans may believe we were better off keeping the previous core they had intact, the Pistons front office would disagree with you. Ever since they traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson back in 2008 the franchise has been looking for the chance to acquire a top level NBA talent that would help propel their play on the court.

It is safe to say that after a long time of waiting the Pistons have finally gotten that guy. Griffin had too many big games to name and more than a lot of other players on the team combined so it is hard to pin him down to one great game.

However, Griffin’s best game and arguably the teams best moment of the season came against the Philadelphia 76ers when Griffin put up the mind boggling stat line of 50 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and he even hit the last second game winner for the Pistons.

Games like this put the NBA on notice that Griffin is a bonafide superstar in this league and has a lot left in his tank. The Clippers may not have appreciated Griffin but Pistons fans will appreciate watching the greatness that is Blake Griffin for years to come.

Best Game of Season:

• 10/23/2018 vs PHI 50 points / 14 rebounds / 6 assists / 1 block (20/35 field goals; 5/10 three pointers; 5/11 free throws)

Other Notable Games:

• 01/12/2019 vs LAC 44 points / 8 rebounds / 5 assists / 3 steals / 1 block (13/23 field goals; 5/13 thre pointers; 13/14 free throws)
• 02/25/2019 vs IND 20 points / 10 rebounds / 10 assists / 1 steal (6/18 field goals; 5/10 three pointers; 3/8 free throws)

The Detroit Pistons 2019-20 season is bound to be an exciting one with several new pieces and the younger core continuing to develop.