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Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected

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Whiskey Slick
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Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#1 » by Whiskey Slick » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:04 pm

I mean honestly, who here expected him to make this much of a difference this year?

It's like joining the Nets and a real chance at a ring has turned back the clock five years.

He's not the scorer he used to be, but he does all the dirty work that winning teams need, and you'd never expect that from a former superstar. NO EGO. He sees his last chance to put a ring on that finger and he's ALL IN to get it. Oh and so much for the "he can't dunk anymore" narrative. :roll:
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Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#2 » by Paradise » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:26 pm

I do think his first season with Detroit did take away from his athleticism and he pretty much checked out since then.

Coming to New York is probably way more motivating for him and his quotes about how shocked he is with our performance and training staff shows he is really enjoying this.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#3 » by Whiskey Slick » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:36 pm

Paradise wrote:I do think his first season with Detroit did take away from his athleticism and he pretty much checked out since then.

Coming to New York is probably way more motivating for him and his quotes about how shocked he is with our performance and training staff shows he is really enjoying this.

He's a proud player whose had a HOF career, para. The one thing missing is a championship and he's been around long enough to know a championship caliber team when he sees one, and he knows that he's ON ONE. This definitely rejuvenated his career. He may not be the offensive Juggernaut he was in his prime, but he's doing all he can (diving for loose balls, taking charges etc.) to put that final checkmark on his career with a ring.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#4 » by Sharcm1 » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:42 pm

Honestly this is exactly what I expected. He’s playing his role and staying in it. He was always labeled the next super star. But I never really thought he had that level of a game. Yes a great dunker. And did other things on the floor. But I always saw him as a second star type guy. I think this way of playing for him, all the pressure off him, is perfect for him.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#5 » by DarkXaero » Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:16 pm

Injuries have unfortunately taken away a lot of what Blake used to be or could be, but his high bball IQ still stands out, and he's very skilled even if his game can look uncoordinated or sloppy sometimes. It's clear that he's highly motivated here and has fully bought into his role of doing whatever he can to do to help the team win. And that can be a variety of things: diving on the floor for loose balls, taking charges, drawing fouls, getting into players' heads for advantage, etc.

This is exactly why I said that we should sign him (when others here were opposed) because the risk was minimal and the potential reward too high for the low cost.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#6 » by Stone » Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:30 pm

He is definitely is a player who working hard and true professional. He is, as stated earlier a high IQ player and on a stacked team like ours he can really shine in his roll with us. He was another great pick up ala the Pistons. Starting with Spencer and Bruce and now Blake
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#7 » by MrDollarBills » Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:46 am

I'm too lazy to pull up the numbers but I recall reading that Blake has been one of our best defenders since he joined and I believe it. Dude has come in here and basically become our dirty work big man and every champion needs that

He's also a huge troll which ups the entertainment factor. He already had someone elbow him in the jaw and today he had Devin Booker in his feelings. I love it
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#8 » by MrDollarBills » Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:49 am

Stone wrote:He is definitely is a player who working hard and true professional. He is, as stated earlier a high IQ player and on a stacked team like ours he can really shine in his roll with us. He was another great pick up ala the Pistons. Starting with Spencer and Bruce and now Blake


Detroit is basically our farm system.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#9 » by BrooklynDynasty » Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:23 am

He's been an okay to above average role player when I thought he was a massive net negative, so I guess that's technically true. Gotta expect this buyout system is going to see heavy reform sooner than later
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#10 » by Trader_Joe » Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:45 am

BrooklynDynasty wrote:He's been an okay to above average role player when I thought he was a massive net negative, so I guess that's technically true. Gotta expect this buyout system is going to see heavy reform sooner than later

Definitely been above average.
His D, IQ, health, passing, scoring, athleticism all been better than expected. He'll be key to our successes going forward with LMA gone. He's like another Jeff Green type gem for the min. We had two $5m exceptions to use too. Good and a cheap. I would not be surprised if he starts or at least takes DJs minutes.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#11 » by HardenGoat » Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:48 am

I really think he needed that time off to heal. Pistons played him into the ground. He has way more bounce and lateral movement than I thought he would and his defensive effort is what really stands out. On offense he still commands respect which opens up others. Tonight he had 16 points,4 assists, 5 rebounds on 6/9 shootings in 27 minutes. That’s damn good when your 2 stars combined for 67 points. Plus he’s our glue guy that’s cracking jokes and messing with the other team. We are lucky to have him and it’s going to be a humbling seeing him win a chip in the end for all his effort. :rockon:
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#12 » by LewisnotMiller » Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:02 am

Whiskey Slick wrote:I mean honestly, who here expected him to make this much of a difference this year?

It's like joining the Nets and a real chance at a ring has turned back the clock five years.

He's not the scorer he used to be, but he does all the dirty work that winning teams need, and you'd never expect that from a former superstar. NO EGO. He sees his last chance to put a ring on that finger and he's ALL IN to get it. Oh and so much for the "he can't dunk anymore" narrative. :roll:


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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#13 » by Prokorov » Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:06 am

Whiskey Slick wrote:I mean honestly, who here expected him to make this much of a difference this year?

It's like joining the Nets and a real chance at a ring has turned back the clock five years.

He's not the scorer he used to be, but he does all the dirty work that winning teams need, and you'd never expect that from a former superstar. NO EGO. He sees his last chance to put a ring on that finger and he's ALL IN to get it. Oh and so much for the "he can't dunk anymore" narrative. :roll:


I expected him to play savy, take chargers and pass well from the post. beyond thought he would be slow washed up trash who would need to hit his threes to stay in the rotation.

He has been solid at worst in all aspects and good in several. like DJ, Keep him at 20ish minutes and you've got a really good player. He clearly had more then he was showing in detroit, which was surprising since he was diving on the floor and the fans loved him saying he gave his all there.

super high iq. so savy. give us some bulk too
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#14 » by Papi_swav » Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:59 am

I admit it
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#15 » by _Und3r][D4wg_ » Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:07 am

Blake has become every bit the glue guy that Bruce Brown is on this team, and then some.

Despite limited defensive abilities due to a decline in athleticism/mobility brought on by injuries over the years, his BB IQ, vet smarts/savvy and hustle on the floor are clearly apparent, especially to the Nets fans who've now only seen him up close over more than a handful of games. Blake has immediately bought into the Nets system and fit seamlessly in it -- doing all the dirty work, not demanding touches nor being a diva on offense, looking to make plays, picking his spots, and taking advantage of opportunities that open up.

It's disappointing to see the 'hate' he is now getting from the Pistons (and their fanbase) after he single-handedly carried that lottery team into the playoffs in his 2nd year (1st full season) with them on an All-NBA performance, and predictably broke down due to overuse. He never fully regained his health in the next 2 seasons after that despite the knee surgeries, yet he continued to sacrifice his physically-limited body and left it all out on the floor. Although his efficiency & impact diminished due to sub-optimal health, his role last year was also marginalized by design due to Troy Weaver's commitment to a youth movement & rebuild; Blake was supposed to hand over the reins to Jerami Grant and the rest of the younger guys.

The 'hate' on him due to the handicap his contract imposed on the Piston's attempt to rebuild is misplaced -- Blake never asked to be traded there... But despite the sudden 'exile' to Detroit, he embraced the team and played his heart out for the city, was a fantastic leader on the floor and in the locker room, and was the perfect PR spokesperson for the organization at every turn. His eventual decision to negotiate a buyout (where he gave up $13M) from the Pistons was anchored on his firm belief that he could still contribute a lot more to the right team, something that the Pistons were no longer willing to allow him to do for them due to their pivot to tanking and young player development.

His seeming animosity towards the Pistons bench when they last played was in reaction to chirping & backtalk from their camp about his move to the Nets being nothing more than a desperate attempt at ring-chasing by a washed-up yet overpaid player -- Any vet who had already earned his stripes would understandably take exception to such innuendo from kids with empty resumés.

It has only been 15 games, but I believe many agree that Blake is already proving himself to be every bit the low-risk, high-reward steal from the buyout market that the Nets FO thought he would be. If his health allows it, expect BG#2 to be a difference maker in the playoffs (and beyond), especially in situations where the Big 3 are unable to play together due to injury concerns.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#16 » by Pelly24 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:43 am

I love this for Blake Griffin. He's been good on defense, an excellent tertiary playmaker, a reliable shooter from distance and he's made a bunch of hustle plays. He also looks like he's got more spring and mobility than he's had since his second year in Detroit. He is a guy that can get 15 to 16 points any given night when others take pressure off him. With Tyler Johnson back, Shamet tapping into some ball handling playmaking and more, the supporting cast is excellent.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#17 » by Prokorov » Tue Apr 27, 2021 2:57 pm

Pelly24 wrote:I love this for Blake Griffin. He's been good on defense, an excellent tertiary playmaker, a reliable shooter from distance and he's made a bunch of hustle plays. He also looks like he's got more spring and mobility than he's had since his second year in Detroit. He is a guy that can get 15 to 16 points any given night when others take pressure off him. With Tyler Johnson back, Shamet tapping into some ball handling playmaking and more, the supporting cast is excellent.


with TLC out of the rotation, we dont have to ever play a bad player. like every team in the league has 1 or 3 rotations guys where they hold their breath while that guy is on the floor.

We have 2 stars + 2-3 good to great role guys on the floor at all times.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#18 » by Openheimer » Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:02 am

Much better.
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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#19 » by kio80 » Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:09 am

Griffin’s been playing significantly worse than what he is capable of in Detroit to fool the team to buy him out for a easy way to a ring.
I have lost all respect for this person and I feel so sorry for the Detroit fan base


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Re: Admit it, Blake Griffin has been so much better than expected 

Post#20 » by MrDollarBills » Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:08 pm

kio80 wrote:Griffin’s been playing significantly worse than what he is capable of in Detroit to fool the team to buy him out for a easy way to a ring.
I have lost all respect for this person and I feel so sorry for the Detroit fan base


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What is it with you 76er fans coming on our board as of late to bad mouth our players? You guys are a bunch of insecure, insufferable clowns and I know why you're doing this, because you know what is coming for you in the playoffs.

No one gives a ****. If you were looking for someone to agree with your whining and crying keep it on your board.
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