The New York Knicks head into the All-Star break with a surprising 19-18 roster. While many people predicted they would be in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, that is no longer the case. The Knicks are competitive and will be fighting for a playoff spot, which could make them look to bring in more talent, but Blake Griffin will not be a target.
Meaningful games in New York have been few and far between in recent years. The only important games that occurred were other teams looking to pick up easy wins over the Knicks for their own playoff push. The tables are turned now, as the Knicks are the team that will be looking to bolster their win total and clinch a playoff spot.
The first season under head coach Tom Thibodeau and with a new-look front office headed by Leon Rose has gone better than even the most optimistic of people could have predicted. They will look to upgrade their roster to help for the playoff push, but one player you can cross of that list is Griffin.
Blake Griffin recently agreed to a buyout with the Detroit Pistons and once he clears waivers he will become an unrestricted free agent. Griffin will have no shortage of suitors, as contending teams will look to bolster their front-court with Griffin. The Knicks are not one of those teams.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks “will pass” on the idea of signing Griffin. While he could have helped fill the void left at the center position by Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson’s injuries, it is smart to pass on Griffin.
Griffin has looked like a shell of himself thus far this season, averaging a career-low 12.3 points per game. He is shooting only 36.5 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from the three-point line. The once explosive high-flyer has become a perimeter player, as he has not had a dunk in an NBA game since 2019 and more than half (124) of his field-goal attempts (222) this season have become from three-point land.
That is a poor recipe for success as Griffin’s three-point accuracy has tanked the last two seasons as his attempts have risen.
New York has an All-Star at the power forward position in Julius Randle. Rookie Obi Toppin is already finding it difficult to earn minutes behind him, so adding another veteran to the mix would make little sense.
