The Detroit Pistons headed into the season with an improved roster compared to last year, and despite the early injuries it appears their star may have a new role.
Blake Griffin has spent 12 of the Detroit Pistons first 16 games either rehabilitating injuries, or resting for load management. Through the four games he has played, Griffin is averaging 19.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on shooting splits of .403/.217/.852.
In nearly every single category, (minus free throw percentage) Griffin is averaging lower number than he was a season ago. That can easily be chalked up to the fact that he’s still working his way back to full strength, and while that’s largely true, there may be another reason.
Pistons fans were anticipating an interesting product on the court this season. The off-season acquisitions of Tony Snell, Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Tim Frazier, Christian Wood and Sekou Doumbouya gave people a spark of optimism. The additions were a clear upgrade from what Detroit had a season ago.
The significance of this goes beyond just “having a better roster.” It means that Griffin could likely suffer less wear and tear as the season moves along, as he won’t be tasked with saving the Pistons on a nightly basis. Any time Detroit needed a clutch play on either end of the floor last season, anytime there was a lack of leadership on the floor, Griffin was the player that was called upon.
That clearly took its toll, as Griffin missed several games to close out the season during Detroit’s playoff push, including the opening two games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Pistons set themselves up in a way that may not exactly be fortuitous. Their success this season is contingent on the health of both Griffin and Rose, and so far each player has spent some time out with an injury.
It’s very clear when he does play that Griffin is still not one hundred percent healthy. His games against Charlotte and Chicago. His lateral quickness and explosiveness with the ball seemed more or less absent, and he wasn’t able to fully close out on shooters or protect the paint.
However, his most recent outing against Atlanta showed fans that he’s making significant progress in a short amount of time, as all of the aforementioned issues seemed to be fading quickly. He finished the night with 24 points on 56 percent shooting.
This bring us back to what was previously mentioned – is Griffin’s usage going down?
A season ago, he finished the year with a usage percentage of 30.2. In his four games this season, he’s sitting at an even 33.0 percent, though this is heavily weighted by his performance in Charlotte, where ended at a staggering 39.6 percent.
The eye test and the box scores seem to be telling two different stories at times. At points, Detroit does defer to “Blake ball” isolation plays that fans have begun to dread, but at other points it seems as if he’s letting the game flow and spreading the ball around.
The issue with this is the two aren’t staggered as much as they should be. Many would argue that Griffin’s isolation’s are becoming tiresome and too often lead to missed baskets or turnovers, however if they’re going to be a part of the Pistons’ offense, then here’s how it should work:
More from PistonPowered
- Which Detroit Pistons could save Team USA in the Olympics?
- Detroit Pistons could have major roster churn after 2023-24 season
- The best Detroit Pistons to wear each uniform number
- Full Detroit Pistons NBA 2K24 ratings
- Detroit Pistons: Who will sign the remaining NBA free agents?
Detroit does not need to go in spurts where Griffin decides to take the possession over. There are instances where a team needs their best player to have the ball in their hands, and if the Pistons are in crunch time – then, absolutely, feed Griffin.
He’s currently surrounded by remarkable perimeter shooters, and their input needs to be maximized. Griffin can draw several defenders to him by attacking the basket, but there should be an emphasis on finding an open man in the corner whose defender slipped off of them.
At the end of the day, we’ve slowly begun to see from Griffin what we expected to see. He’s communicating on both sides of the ball far more than any other player is. He’s also intermittently allowing the offense to operate without himself as the focal point.
The offense does not always have to run through him. With both Andre Drummond and Luke Kennard emerging as more prominent scoring threats, the Pistons do have other options, along with Rose.
What fans have seen from Griffin is a tremendous leap in leadership since he’s arrived in Detroit. He willed this team to the playoffs a season ago, and though the Pistons could make the playoffs again this season, it won’t have to be solely based on his performance. He can rely on other members of the starting unit as well as the bench production.
His usage should go down over time, which will inevitably increase his durability. However, even when he does regain his health, fans should still expect him to take a night off for load management every seven or eight games, just to preserve his health.
Griffin is still the Pistons star player, and as long as he’s in Detroit, he always will be.