Pistons doomsday scenario: What if Blake Griffin can’t come back?
By Ryan Love
Keeping the Broken Superstar
As has been reported so far this season, Griffin’s left leg injury has no timetable for a full recovery.
His revaluation in November may clear him to play for the immediate future, but that doesn’t guarantee that Griffin will be healed long-term.
At age 30, leg injuries notoriously nag players as they progress to the tail-end of their careers and a freakishly athletic player like Griffin is no exception.
In this hypothetical, the Pistons decide to stick with Griffin despite an injury that – hypothetically – continues to nag him through the end of this season and into the final two years of his contract in Detroit.
analysis. How bad are the Pistons without Blake Griffin?. light
The Pistons in a weak Eastern Conference likely continue to scrape and claw for playoff appearances as Griffin’s repeated absences take their toll.
He shows flashes of hobbled greatness as fans have seen him show as recently as the 2019 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite playing on one good leg, Griffin averaged 24.5 points in the two games he managed to play.
His valiant effort didn’t go unnoticed by the fans as he received a standing ovation after what would clearly be the last contribution he could make in the Game 4 clincher in Detroit.
This is the path Griffin and the Pistons repeat over and over in this doomsday scenario for the future if his injury issue persists.
It is the path that would be easiest for the franchise to take.
They would be keeping faith in the superstar they’ve invested assets and millions of dollars in. Griffin’s standing with the fans would be hard to break if he continued to put together valiant effort after valiant effort despite injuries.
Yet, the Pistons would remain where they sit today; A team on the fringe of playoff contention with no clear plan for the fast-approaching post-Blake era.
This scenario would be the slow-burn. The nagging injury that drives the superstar toward retirement and the franchise deeper into mediocrity.
To avoid that scenario, the franchise may need to move on from Griffin sooner than later.