Detroit Pistons replay center: Blake Griffin post-ups (part 2)
This Detroit Pistons replay center, we’ll analyze Blake Griffin’s post moves, how he got to his spots, the kind of shots generated and points of emphasis.
This is the second edition of the Detroit Pistons Replay Center and we’ll pick up right where we left off, Blake Griffin post-ups. In the first piece, we talked about the basic set Dwane Casey called to get Griffin good low-post position and some of the factors that determine its success.
In this one, we’ll analyze Griffin’s post moves and look at how he got to his spots within Casey’s freelance offense. We’ll also look into the kind of shots that post-ups generate for others and points of emphasis to optimize them.
Despite his flaws, which we’ll certainly talk about, Griffin is a beast in the post. Very few people can slow him down and he commands so much of the defense’s attention. Who else can push Pascal Siakam around?
According to his shooting splits, Griffin made 54.7 percent of his 128 hook shots. That’s a very good shot in a half-court set, worth almost 1.1 points per shot, which makes it a great go-to move. Of course, not every hook shot is created equal. The value of the shot depends on the distance from the rim, the number and quality of defenders, offensive rebound probability, etc.
And it’s all relative to what other shots could have been potentially created. If Griffin could have created an open catch-and-shoot three for Reggie Jackson, a shot worth almost 1.2 points per shot but opted to throw a hook shot instead, that’s not optimal. That’s over-simplistic but you get the point.
Of course, Griffin doesn’t excel in the post because he has a killer hook shot. He does because he can bully people, especially smaller ones, and get to the rim. Griffin scored 67.2 percent in the restricted area. A lot of those shots came out of post-ups.
The Pistons star has a tremendous ability to get to the rim in those situations. He also draws a lot of fouls which is extremely important. Griffin has a historically rare combination of ball-handling, footwork, strength, size and leaping ability that allows him to beat smaller and slower defenders.
Out of all his two-point attempts, 57 percent came in the restricted area while only 13 percent came outside the paint. However, he finished nearly 35 percent of his in-the-paint attempts outside the restricted area with an efficiency of 36 percent. That’s bad.
Griffin here doesn’t feed Luke Kennard when Jamal Murray reaches for the ball. Instead, he tries to post up a great post defender, Paul Millsap. Better decision making in those kinds of situations could go a long way for him.
But more on that later. First, let’s see how Griffin uses his skills to dominate the post and how he uses the threat of his hook shot to get to his counter moves, some of which are even more efficient.