Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin has made it clear that he’s here to help the team no matter what position they’re in.
The Detroit Pistons season has officially come to an end, and the exit interviews have been conducted with members of the media. On Thursday, Blake Griffin said the following;
Blake Griffin when asked about the rebuild: "If I'm on the Detroit Pistons, I'm doing everything I can to help them."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) June 11, 2020
After dealing with lingering knee issues for the first quarter of the season, Griffin underwent surgery that prematurely ended his season. What followed in his absence was, to put it delicately, long overdue.
The Pistons took a sharp nose dive into the bottom of the barrel, embracing the long awaited rebuild that has loomed over the franchise for the better part of a decade. The first domino that fell was the trade that sent Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With no concrete time frame as to when exactly Detroit could come out of their rebuild, having Griffin on the roster only serves to devalue whatever prime basketball he has left. To his credit, he said that he feels he has plenty left in the tank.
Fans are generally more than happy to keep him on the team, as he’s a tremendous leader, a great teammate, and a coach on the floor. However, keeping him in a Pistons uniform feels unfair to him as an individual.
His talent is unquestioned, but his contract makes trading him quite the difficult task.
So if here’s here to help the team through thick and thin, then that’s all the same. Though his contract is massive, the Pistons still have more than enough cap space over the next several years to construct a roster that they feel comfortable with.
The salary hit that Griffin brings may seem steep at first glance, but it really doesn’t hinder Detroit’s ability to remain flexible.
If he’s willing to stick with the team through the rebuild, then he’ll help accelerate the development of any prospects that the team brings in. In the short amount of time that he’s been with the organization, Griffin has given every ounce of energy he has on the court.
If he has more to give, then maybe his presence, at full health, will drastically improve the rate at which the Pistons can complete their rebuild.