Motivated Griffin
Blake Griffin was empathic in his denial. Asked about his sprint off the court after warmups yesterday, he waxed angry and argued that it was simply part of his pregame routine over the last nine years. Never mind that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer stood waiting for him in the sidelines ready for a handshake, and that he, in turn, appeared to veer away and head straight to the tunnel. In retrospect, he may well have been right — which is not to contest he wasn’t being disingenuous as well; not for nothing had they not spoken at all since he was traded to the Pistons in late January.
If there was any doubt as to where Griffin stood in regard to his stunning departure from the Clippers, he made sure to erase it with a masterful performance. His stat line said it all; he scored 44 points (on 21 shots), grabbed eight rebounds, and issued five assists in leading the Pistons to victory. He was engaged on both ends of the floor from opening tip, and after he put up 15 in the first quarter alone, all and sundry knew he was on a mission. The fans at Staples Center certainly appreciated his presence, if not his contributions to the cause since being drafted first overall in 2009; they greeted him with cheers when he made his appearance, and then with an ovation when a tribute of his past exploits was shown on the Jombotron.
Life continues, of course, and Griffin underscored how much — and, yes, how little — he has moved on. The Clippers’ severance of their ties with him shocked him, not because he didn’t like his new digs, but because he was promised the keys to the franchise — along with a whopping five-year, $171-million contract — in the immediate past offseason. That he had no clue of his diminished status in the few intervening months served to further pry open his wounds. And that he still looks insistent on picking at scabs indicates he won’t be speaking with Ballmer, or head coach Doc Rivers, or head of hoops operations Lawrence Frank anytime soon.
It is, to be sure, irrelevant in the final analysis. Griffin is, by all accounts, at his best with the Pistons, norming career highs in points and true shooting percentage, and, under new mentor Dwane Casey, acting as the fulcrum of the offense. Given his contributions, he’s clearly bent on earning every cent of his salary. And for all the pettiness of his beef with the Clippers, it has kept him motivated. That said, Detroit is not Los Angeles, and where he once harbored championship aspirations, he now has an eye towards simply making the playoffs. He is where he is, and, one day, he may yet truly acknowledge it en route to finding peace of mind.
Life continues, of course, and Griffin underscored how much — and, yes, how little — he has moved on. The Clippers’ severance of their ties with him shocked him, not because he didn’t like his new digs, but because he was promised the keys to the franchise — along with a whopping five-year, $171-million contract — in the immediate past offseason. That he had no clue of his diminished status in the few intervening months served to further pry open his wounds. And that he still looks insistent on picking at scabs indicates he won’t be speaking with Ballmer, or head coach Doc Rivers, or head of hoops operations Lawrence Frank anytime soon.