Blake Griffin is settling in well with his new team, the Detroit Pistons, and the Magic must try to contain him tonight at Amway.
The longtime Clipper is finding Detroit to his liking since trade
Blake Griffin is a force of nature. But you knew that.
Griffin has found a high-performance home with the Detroit Pistons in 11 games he has played with them since coming over from Los Angeles in a deal that brought Tobias Harris to the Clippers. Griffin has averaged 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
Griffin now becomes Orlando’s problem when the Pistons come to town tonight. This will be the first time the Magic will face him in a Pistons uniform.
“He’s one of the best players in the world,” Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel said after Thursday’s practice. “He definitely makes them a lot better. He and [Andre] Drummond are finding chemistry together.”
That chemistry often comes in the way of slam-bam lobs that are difficult to defend.
“He understands the lob game and all the nuances about it and how to play his role,” Vogel said of Griffin. “He’s a playmaker, and they put the ball in his hands in a point-forward situation. He’s very,
very versatile and makes them more formidable.
“It’s not just Drummond. You’ve got Blake going to the basket and tearing the rim down on you. If you rotate early to him, he’s throwing the ball up to Drummond along the baseline. It definitely gives them a different dynamic.”
Magic missteps
The Magic have lost seven consecutive games, dealing with the usual problems of struggling teams: Inconsistency. Nothing seems sustainable.
“We gotta play better on the defensive end,” Vogel said. “No surprise. Got to go for 48 minutes. We go through some brilliant stretches of what I want my team to play like. Fast basketball, unselfish basketball, running the floor, attack mode, being aggressive. And it’s looked pretty good at times but we have to sustain it.”
Vaughn may stick
The expiration date is coming up soon for guard
Rashad Vaughn, who signed a 10-day contract on Feb. 20 to fortify the Magic roster.
Will he stick around for another 10-day look-see?
“We’ll see when the time comes,” Vogel said. “He’s done some things well. I’ve asked him to do some things better. A new guy comes into your system there is always habits that you have to get him up to speed on. That’s the things we’re working on with him.”
Vaughn has averaged 7.5 minutes per game, a decent amount considering his role in the pecking order. But the move was necessitated when Orlando traded point guard Elfrid Payton to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 8.
As for things Vaughn needs to improve on?
“The criticism is between he and I,” Vogel said. “He shoots the basketball well. He’s playing within himself offensively. He’s being aggressive. He’s showing what he can do.”
Isaac on track
Rookie Jonathan Isaac is finally expected back in action against the Pistons.
Isaac sprained his right ankle on Nov. 11 and hasn’t played in an NBA game since aggravating the injury for a second time on Dec. 26.