When the Detroit Pistons traded for Blake Griffin and his monster contract, this was pretty much the worst-case scenario.
We have an aging player whose skills are in clear decline eating up most of the salary cap with a contract that is “untradable” according to the Ringer.
He is not only playing terribly and killing the Pistons’ salary cap situation but he is also taking developmental minutes away from the young players in the process.
Dwane Casey has talked a lot about “earning” minutes but Blake Griffin continues to get run even though he has arguably been Detroit’s worst player.
The Ringer is right, Blake Griffin is likely untradable this season, which is why the Detroit Pistons need to drastically alter their approach to how they are using him.
They need to find ways to get Blake Griffin going without hurting the team and unjustifiably taking minutes from younger, better players.
Here is what the Detroit Pistons should do with Blake Griffin.
Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin needs to sit out more
Blake Griffin has already sat on the second game of a back-to-back and this should continue, in fact, the Pistons should be doing everything they can to keep Blake Griffin healthy.
The chances of trading him this season are slim and none but if Blake is not healthy he is not going to help anyone.
This means sitting him against bad teams where the Pistons have more favorable matchups. Blake Griffin should never play back-to-backs and I wouldn’t be unhappy if he sat out roughly every third game.
Maybe the extra rest will put some life back in his legs and game. Probably not, but it is worth a shot and the Detroit Pistons have zero chance of moving him if he is injured.
Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin should play in short bursts
Blake Griffin is averaging more than 31 minutes per game which is ridiculous. Not only is he hurting the team with his play, but is probably hurting himself, as Blake just doesn’t have the physicality to play these minutes any longer.
He should be playing 20-25 minutes a night, which would keep him fresh, reduce the chance of injury and open up some more minutes for Sekou Doumbouya.
If I were Dwane Casey, I would tell Blake Griffin that is going to play the first 4-5 minutes of every quarter and nothing else.
He can be the primary offensive weapon in those minutes, run pick-and-roll and play as hard as he wants but he isn’t getting additional minutes, that’s it.
Blake Griffin looks like his old self for a few minutes at a time (sans the dunks) and can still be a great mentor and leader for this team even if he is not playing big minutes.
This might also give other teams a glimpse at what Blake Griffin could be for them. He is no longer a number one option on offense but he can get buckets in short bursts and could carry a bench unit for 20-25 minutes a night.
If Blake Griffin wants his career to continue post-Detroit Pistons, then this is his destiny and it is time to start realizing it now.
Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin’s future may be at center
Another way to showcase the ways Blake Griffin could contribute to a contender is by playing him more minutes at center.
Blake no longer has the lateral movement to stay in front of forwards and he is still a good rebounder who can draw other centers away from the hoop.
I would like to see Blake start the second quarter with a small-ball lineup with him at the five to see what he can do.
Blake Griffin’s biggest weapon used to be his elite athleticism for his size but that has been replaced by a high-IQ player who can pass and shoot from long-range.
Blake’s future is probably as a stretch-five on a team with shooters who can run the pick-and-roll. It’s time the Detroit Pistons start using him that way for a few minutes a night to see what he can do.
Blake Griffin is probably not going to be traded but he can still help this team if his role and expectations are adjusted to reality.
He should be sitting out more games overall, playing fewer minutes in short bursts and getting some time at center to maximize his value to this team.