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Three Detroit Pistons who could see decreased roles in 2019-2020

By Riley Nisbet

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 11: The Detroit Pistons stand for the National Anthem prior to a pre-season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 11, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 11: The Detroit Pistons stand for the National Anthem prior to a pre-season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 11, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons Blake Griffin. (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Blake Griffin

At face value, this claim seems controversial. But it’s an expected one following Dwane Casey’s comments about the team’s dependency on Blake Griffin last year, and rumors that Griffin will likely jump on board with Kawhi Leonard‘s “load-management” trend.

Last season, Griffin averaged 35 minutes a night, which lands around his career average. However, for a player as injury-prone yet also invaluable to the team’s success as Griffin is, that usage volume is a high-risk high-reward bet Casey seems uninterested in placing. After Griffin hobbled off the court at the end of last season, an almost comically large brace around his left knee, the toll the season took on the Pistons stretch-four was obvious.

The Pistons took to addressing this concern in the offseason, signing competent back-ups in Markieff Morris and Christian Wood. This added depth will not just allow more in-game rest for Griffin but will add the option to load manage him as well.

It’s difficult to make the case that the team won’t feel a loss without Griffin on the court: they will. However, Morris and Wood share similar skill sets, separately, that, when combined, can compensate for Griffin’s absence in ways that Thon Maker couldn’t last year. Morris is gritty and tough. Wood is athletic and attacks the rim. Both are reliable three-point shooters: 34 percent for Morris and 31 percent for Wood.

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On the surface, it seems that lessening Griffin’s role this year would be a negative approach to game planning, but it comes with the goal of extending his longevity so that he’s healthy at the end of the year and into a playoff run.

Last year, Griffin’s knee injury meant that the Pistons struggled down the stretch when they needed to clinch a playoff spot. They fell from contention for the sixth seed and snagged the eighth seed only on the final game of the year. Griffin then missed the first two playoff games in Milwaukee because of ongoing knee pain, only to return and limp through the final two games of the eventual sweep.

With added depth, Griffin off the court should not be as consequential as it was last year, and should help the team remain competitive through a tough March schedule and confidently fight for playoff positioning near the end of the season.

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