Trade: [DET/LAC] Blake Griffin to Detroit Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, 1st & 2nd

[Stylizer1]

I almost started a thread 2 days ago to ask 'is Griffin is still a superstar?'

I just didn't hear much about him in recent years

I don't think he was ever a superstar. All star yes.

 

[Cassano]

Lolololol T-Wolves K Love overrated

He was. Notorious stat-padder on a bad team that couldn't defend.

 

[Hadoop]

Considering just basketball this trade was already questionable from the Piston's POV. Add to that Blake's life in LA (realty TV star gf, a growing portfolio of commercials, a bit movie role in an upcoming film) and this has a really high likelihood of blowing up in Detroit's face, very quickly.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Don't love the trade for Detroit, but I sorta get it. This is the only way they are getting stars outside of drafting them. That said, what's their ceiling now? Winning a round in the playoffs? They seemed destined to be a 1st or 2nd round out for the foreseeable future.

 

[Voight]

I don't think he was ever a superstar. All star yes.

2012-2015 he was definitely a superstar.

Lob City produced the following: 3 second round playoff appearances, 2 division championships, millions spent on past their prime vets & a few jersey banners to hang in 10 years.

 

[sparxx87]

Don't love the trade for Detroit, but I sorta get it. This is the only way they are getting stars outside of drafting them. That said, what's their ceiling now? Winning a round in the playoffs? They seemed destined to be a 1st or 2nd round out for the foreseeable future.

I don’t expect that’ll change. This certainly makes them better but I don’t think it’s significant enough to compete with Cleveland/Boston/Toronto.

Hypothetically, Blake fits like a glove and plays like an all star - he’s still sus on defense and he isn’t going to elevate them to elite status.

Taking on big money to get a little bit better doesn’t seem sensible for a team in Detroit’s situation. As mentioned, this one has potential to blow up on them, quickly.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I don’t expect that’ll change. This certainly makes them better but I don’t think it’s significant enough to compete with Cleveland/Boston/Toronto.

Hypothetically, Blake fits like a glove and plays like an all star - he’s still sus on defense and he isn’t going to elevate them to elite status.

Taking on big money to get a little bit better doesn’t seem sensible for a team in Detroit’s situation. As mentioned, this one has potential to blow up on them, quickly.

Oh I agree. This move reeks of a team that just wants to get in the playoffs and go from there. I forgot where I read it, but someone said it seems like their goal is to be the Joe Johnson era Hawks, and that kinda makes sense to me. They have awful attendance right now. I think they just want to be relevant. They don't seem to have the patience to rebuild, and SVG is desperate so you get a move like this.

 

[sparxx87]

Oh I agree. This move reeks of a team that just wants to get in the playoffs and go from there. I forgot where I read it, but someone said it seems like their goal is to be the Joe Johnson era Hawks, and that kinda makes sense to me. They have awful attendance right now. I think they just want to be relevant. They don't seem to have the patience to rebuild, and SVG is desperate so you get a move like this.

The bolded was their biggest motivation IMO. New building and they can’t draw. Blake sells tickets.

Edit: they need a wing player or a better point guard. Bobby Schmurda just isn’t good enough.

 

[darko]

Have to agree with this. Is Detroit good enough now to beat Cleveland or Boston, etc.? And what LA got was nice but nothing earth-shaking, unless like others have said they're just going to blow the whole thing up.

They will blow it all up. Cleared lot of salary which is a very good start.

 

[Virtanen18]

Don't love the trade for Detroit, but I sorta get it. This is the only way they are getting stars outside of drafting them. That said, what's their ceiling now? Winning a round in the playoffs? They seemed destined to be a 1st or 2nd round out for the foreseeable future.

And that's okay.

 

[Voight]

Don't love the trade for Detroit, but I sorta get it. This is the only way they are getting stars outside of drafting them. That said, what's their ceiling now? Winning a round in the playoffs? They seemed destined to be a 1st or 2nd round out for the foreseeable future.

That's exactly what SVG said. Detroit isn't a prime destination like LA, Miami, NYC etc and drafting a superstar is harder than it sounds. The only way for the Pistons to do so is by making a trade and he really had to do something to spice things up.

 

[TNT87]

Poor Kendall Jenner.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Blake's decline has been one of the more disappointing of recent memory. Guy absolutely lit up the league his rookie year and it's been a pretty steady decline ever since. And most of it has to be attributed injuries which have led to his declining athleticism. In his defense, he's improved both his 3-point and free throw shooting, but he's averaging 4 less rebounds a game now. That's a huge decline. Not to mention how much he disappears in the 4th quarter. At this point in his career he'd be a good to very good player. Very far from an elite talent and for that money it's no wonder the Clips parted ways with him.

 

[dahrougem2]

Blake's decline has been one of the more disappointing of recent memory. Guy absolutely lit up the league his rookie year and it's been a pretty steady decline ever since. And most of it has to be attributed injuries which have led to his declining athleticism. In his defense, he's improved both his 3-point and free throw shooting, but he's averaging 4 less rebounds a game now. That's a huge decline. Not to mention how much he disappears in the 4th quarter. At this point in his career he'd be a good to very good player. Very far from an elite talent and for that money it's no wonder the Clips parted ways with him.

I don't disagree re: injuries, but I would attribute his decline in rebounding more to the emergence of DeAndre Jordan. Same thing will happen in Detroit with Drummond gobbling up most of the rebounds.

 

[Reality Check]

I never bothered to weigh in on this and will do so now. As a self proclaimed Pistons fan, I'm on the fence. Yet understand it at the same time.

It's absolutely true that Detroit, much less many other teams, would never be able to sniff a Blake Griffin unless via trade. The three championships Detroit has won were comprised of trades and draft picks. That's just how the league works.

Griffin will bring more star power, something Detroit hasn't seen since Grant Hill, and that will certainly boost attendance. Which being in a new building certainly played a role. But I'm not exactly worried about that as the Pistons will draw once they start putting a consistently good product on the floor. Something they have only been able to accomplish once in the past ten years.

They were off to a great start, albeit playing over the heads. Then proceeded to lose Bradley, Johnson and Jackson for multiple games. Reggie Jackson being the killer as he finally looked 100%. Once he went down, Pistons went into a deep funk and lost about 8 games in a row until the trade. They were before and still are a playoff team in an improved East. But I like their chances of moving forward now than I did before.

Griffin's injury history is a huge concern to me. Then again, as I already stated, there was no way in hell a team like Detroit was going to land him in free agency. Bradley has struggled since getting hurt in December(?) and wasn't getting paid by Detroit. Tobias Harris is good, if not one-dimensional. But is playing like an all-star this year. That said, I'm okay with selling high on Harris. Detroit obtained him for peanuts as it is and he'll be looking to get paid in another year. Draft pick could come back to bite us however if the Clippers hold out enough.

Clippers getting out of Blake's contract is good as they'll attempt to thrown that money at George and others. This can work as they reside in an attractive market. Despite being the Clippers. But I wonder if there will be any repercussions from dumping Griffin's contract to free agents. Such as a No Trade Clause or it's no dice, Clippers.

 

[Voight]

Clippers getting out of Blake's contract is good as they'll attempt to thrown that money at George and others. This can work as they reside in an attractive market. Despite being the Clippers. But I wonder if there will be any repercussions from dumping Griffin's contract to free agents. Such as a No Trade Clause or it's no dice, Clippers.

It wont work. They have never been able to attract star free agents. Hasn't changed even with the last run of success.