After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Clippers, Blake Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons last January. The move was a bit of a surprise, mostly because Griffin signed a very lucrative contract with the Clippers in the 2017 offseason.
It was clear that the Clippers were looking to go in a different direction with their core players, and Griffin was the second part of that nucleus to leave, following Chris Paul’s move to the Houston Rockets. He played 25 games with the Pistons before suffering a season-ending ankle injury, and he played well as he averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 assists.
2018-19 will be Griffin’s first full season in Detroit. With a clear role as one of the stars of the team alongside Andre Drummond, Griffin should have a successful season if he can cater his game to his strengths and what the team needs. His responsibilities will be somewhat different than they were in LA, but most of that has to do with how differently each team is (or was, in the case of the Clippers) constructed.
Griffin won’t have to shoulder as much of the load now that he’s playing alongside an All-Star in Drummond for a full season. Drummond and Deandre Jordan, Griffin’s former teammate, are similar in terms of rebounding and rim protection. However, Drummond has shown an ability to be a more prolific scorer.
Here are three goals for Griffin to strive for this upcoming season.
Next Up: Goal 3
