Brooklyn Nets: Blake Griffin would be a perfect fit for the stretch run
By Liam Clark
Blake Griffin could be the piece needed to help the Brooklyn Nets in their championship aspirations.
It was reported recently that Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to part ways, with the big man sitting until the team can work out a trade option or a buyout option for the former All-Star.
The team will look to move Griffin to a team where he gets a chance to win a championship, with teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and others emerging as likely potential suitors.
However, the team in the best position to utilize Griffin’s abilities and give him the best opportunity to win a championship is the Brooklyn Nets. Since the James Harden trade, the team has become one of the favorites to win it all.
Since the trade, the Nets are 16-7 and have won nine of its last 10 games. However, one area they have been lacking in since bringing Harden to Brooklyn has been defensively and on the glass. Losing Jarrett Allen was a major loss for the Nets, as he provided most of the dirty work in both of those areas.
While options such as Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins could seem enticing, Blake Griffin could be another option to add to the super talented team. It almost seems like a perfect fit on paper.
Griffin may not be the athletic player who won the slam dunk contest back in 2011, however, the former All-Star could still help the Nets in their rebounding woes. Griffin averages 8.7 rebounds per game in his career, and even though those numbers have dropped this year the big man still has the opportunity to contribute in that area.
This would be a positive for a Nets team that is in the bottom three in the league in rebounding.
His dunking ability may also have dropped due to injuries, however, something that could reignite that spark would be reuniting with former LA Clippers teammate DeAndre Jordan. The two were one of the best frontcourts when playing for the Clippers and had terrific chemistry. Bringing Griffin on board could see the two players find a little bit of that old magic while helping the Nets in the locker room by adding further positive team chemistry.
Griffin’s offensive struggles (averaging only 12.3 points per game this season) would also be overshadowed due to the immense offensive prowess the Nets already have with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. His ability to stretch the floor could provide him with a chance to get in the flow of his game again and become a spot-up shooter for the Nets and play mostly off the ball.
However, if Griffin is utilized more with the second unit, he could also showcase some of his playmaking abilities that are above average for a big man. The move to the Nets could see Griffin play his style of game, while not having the pressures of being the leading man of the team.
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If the Nets are the acquire Griffin, it would have to be through the Pistons agreeing to a buyout of Griffin’s contract. His massive contract would make a trade almost impossible. However, if Detroit does buyout Griffin’s contract, expect the Nets to be one of the first teams to have a crack at the former All-Star.