Detroit Pistons need Blake Griffin to make a real playoff run

The Detroit Pistons have gotten off to an up-and-down start, but if they’re going to make a real playoff run in the Eastern Conference they need a healthy Blake Griffin

Considering that the Detroit Pistons have been without Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin for the majority of the start of the season, sitting at 3-5 isn’t the end of the world. However, if the Pistons are going to make a real run to the playoffs they’re going to need a healthy Griffin, at the very least, and Jackson, at the most.

More importantly, they’re going to need the best version of Blake Griffin. The good news is that he is reportedly close to making his season debut. As for Jackson, he’s expected to miss at least a month as he recovers from a back injury.

Blake is coming off one of his best seasons to date, in which he averaged 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists while shooting 46 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. He helped lead the Pistons back to the playoffs, but an injury towards the latter portion of last season limited his availability and production in the postseason.

As it often has been the case for Blake throughout his career, health is always the biggest variable. If Blake is healthy, there’s no question he’s going to have a positive impact on the Pistons. Detroit needs just that right now.

Detroit has a middle of the pack offense (16th in offensive rating) and a bottom 10 defense (ranked 25th in defensive rating). Those are both areas in which Blake will certain help – probably more on the offensive end than defensively, but, at this point, he wouldn’t hurt on that end of the floor either.

The Pistons are also ranked 20th in the league in assists and 18th in assist percentage. Blake led the Pistons in assists last season, and Jackson was second. Both have been absent from the lineup to start the year. That has hurt. There’s no question about it.

Derrick Rose is currently the team leader in assists thus far this season, which has helped keep this team afloat. Although, if the Pistons are going to be a real threat to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season, they’re going to need a healthy and productive Blake Griffin.

From the look of it, anything short of that will, unfortunately, result in another disappointing season for the Detroit Pistons.