Detroit Pistons: Will the Blake Griffin experiment work?

Can Griffin say healthy?

Blake Griffin has missed a considerable amount of time on the hardwood due to injury. The 2013-14 season is the last time Griffin played in 80 games. In 2014-15 he missed 15 games then 47 games in 2015-16 and 21 games in 2016-17.

This season alone, Griffin has already missed 16 games due to injury. In all, Griffin has missed a whopping 99 games due to injury since 2014. That’s a full NBA season and deep playoff run.

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Detroit has seen its playoff hopes disappear the last two seasons due to Reggie Jackson‘s injuries. Signing another high profile, injury-prone player may not be the best way to fix what ails the Pistons.  Especially, when the player comes with a five-year, $173 million price tag.

Detroit needed to make a move before the trade deadline to salvage this season.

The uncertainty surrounding Bradley’s unrestricted free agency and the pricey salary he’ll command made moving Bradley a wise decision. Additionally, Bradley has been bitten by the injury bug this season as well.

Change is never easy. Trades are rarely well-received, especially when NBA stars are traded away from the only fanbase they’ve ever known. Sometimes, however, these trades or free agent acquisitions are blessings in disguise.

When Grant Hill left Detroit for the Orlando Magic, Ben Wallace wasn’t embraced by the Pistons’ faithful. As time went on, the fans embraced Wallace. Hill’s battles with injury turned an unpopular trade into a win for the Bad Boys of Detroit.

The Blake Griffin era doesn’t officially begin in Detroit until Feb. 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies, but the hometown is ready.

The Griffin “Motor City” jersey sold out almost instantly, and very few of the home white jerseys remained for sale at halftime during the Cavs/Pistons game.

Griffin picked No. 23 for the next chapter in his career. He wore number 32 during his time with the Clippers. The Pistons retired Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton’s jersey (No. 32) on Feb. 26, 2017.

Hamilton’s jersey joins two others, (Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace) from the 2004 championship team in the rafters.

Bradley and Harris will return to face Griffin and the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 9, 2018.

Next: 2017-18 Week 16 NBA Power Rankings

Time will tell if this trade is simply genius or yet another head-scratching moment that leaves Detroit fans asking why.