Has Blake Griffin returned to his previous All-Star form?

It’s only been a couple of games, but Blake Griffin appears to look like the player that made him a perennial All-Star way back when.

Blake Griffin‘s fall from NBA poster child to superstar afterthought has been a sad story to watch unfold.

Injuries have robbed him of chunks from each of the last four seasons. He’s tried to reinvent his game, opting to shoot more perimeter shots rather than attack the basket, but not even that could preserve a body battered by such massive beatings early on.

Following an agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers on a five-year, $173 million deal in the summer of 2017, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons less than eight months later, putting an official end to his time among the league’s best.

Heading into this season, not many knew exactly what to expect from the five-time All-Star. His fit with his Pistons teammates was questionable at best, and his body, despite being just 29 years of age, had seemingly betrayed him.

It has only been the smallest of sample sizes, two games to be exact, but Griffin has been impressive so far in the new season, putting up 29.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

Delving deep into the numbers, there are a few stats that help to understand Griffin’s resurgence so far this year.

For starters, rather than remaining content to float beyond the perimeter, he’s trying to get shots closer to the basket, shrinking the average distance of his shot from 12.5 feet last season to 9.4 feet this year.

For someone as physically imposing as Griffin, that’s still too far, but considering the last time that number was below double-digits was during the 2013-14 season, it seems as though he’s making a concerted effort to improve his shot selection.

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Interestingly enough, Blake’s efficiency around the bucket has decreased tremendously from what we’ve come to expect from him over the years, going from the high 60s to 70s over the last few seasons to just 57.1 percent in the two games Detroit has played so far.

Where he’s improved, though, is from 16 feet and out, stroking those looks at a 62.5 percent clip, albeit on very limited looks.

His rebounding is tough to explain. After all, he’s slotted next to the back-to-back rebounding champ in Andre Drummond, who grabs 20 boards like the rest of us breathe oxygen. Simply put, it’s likely a result of him going after the ball more than in years past in order to ignite the fast break as the lead ball-handler.

The key for Griffin, as has become the case in the last few seasons, is his health. With one of the most versatile offensive set of skills, capable of mixing ball-handling with brute strength in the post, he can pose mismatch problems for most of the 29 other teams in the league, but if he can’t get onto the court, none of that matters.

Again, these two games could come to be outliers in what will ultimately become an underwhelming season for BG, but if his body holds up, not many can match the point guard capabilities he stuffs into his 6’10”, 250-pound frame.

Maybe leaving L.A. was the best thing for Griffin. The Lob City era had run its course, but there’s no way the fans could lower their expectations for a guy once considered a legitimate MVP candidate, especially after he signed that max deal. Fans in Detroit, however, simply want a franchise talent they can get behind following years of mediocrity.

There’s still so much more Griffin needs to prove, and he may not be capable of leading the Pistons all that far, but simply reasserting himself as a star would be a great resurgence for a guy who used to be a box-office attraction all by himself.