Detroit Pistons: How effective are Griffin and Drummond together?

Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond form a frontcourt duo that is most effective in the paint. Can this style of basketball still thrive in the modern NBA?

Amidst all the questions surrounding the evolution of basketball, the position that seems to have undergone the most consistent change is the power forward.

The term stretch four is used by broadcasters during nearly every game, and forwards are now commonly expected to take and make 3-pointers, something they weren’t expected to do in years past.

The Detroit Pistons are one of the few teams left that haven’t fully adopted this theory, as their starting lineup (when everyone is healthy) features two bigs who are not known for their outside shooting and are most effective in the paint.

The question is, how good of a combination are Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond in today’s NBA, and do the Pistons need to adapt their playing style to win more games?

Drummond and Griffin are both All star-caliber players and both have been All-NBA selections at some point in their careers. Drummond is an elite rebounder, averaging a league-best 16.0 boards per game.

Griffin is a former Rookie of The Year and Slam Dunk Champion who is capable of turning back the clock now and then and putting some unsuspecting opponent on a poster. Still, the Pistons are an under .500 ball club that wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they started today. So the question must be asked, is this combination working?

To be fair, it has to be pointed out that Griffin’s health thus far has been a contributing factor as to why he and Drummond haven’t had maximum impact together. In Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards in Detroit, both players put up a double-double in a much-needed blowout win.

However, with Griffin having missed 15 games so far this season, it’s been hard for these two to achieve the type of on-court chemistry that helped push Detroit into last season’s playoffs.

A look at Griffin’s stats shows the lack of playing time it requires to get into peak rhythm may be affecting his production across the board with under 30 minutes a night.

This season he’s shooting just less than 25.0 percent from 3- point range and just over 36.0 percent overall. Those numbers are significantly down for a guy who’s shot over 33.0 percent from three and almost 50.0 percent overall for his career.

While never considered a good enough shooter to be labeled a stretch four, Griffin’s decreased accuracy from distance allows opposing defenses to stay on the interior, further clogging things up for Drummond who is an elite offensive rebounder and does all of his best work inside the paint.

Drummond is 26 years old, in his physical prime, and has expressed interest in staying with the Pistons beyond this season. However, Drummond has already stated he will not exercise the player option on his contract this upcoming offseason and will instead opt to become a free agent.

Griffin will turn 31 later this season and would presumably be uninterested in sticking around for a rebuild at this point in his career if the team decided to go in that direction.

So what should the Pistons do? This may not be a popular opinion, but I think the duo of Griffin and Drummond together can work in today’s league and the team should keep them together. Last year, their first full season as teammates, the pair helped Detroit make a late-season push that ultimately landed the team in the playoffs.

Once Griffin reestablishes his rhythm and returns to form, he and Drummond could force teams who intend to play smaller lineups to make uncomfortable adjustments to deal with their interior dominance.

Andre Drummond is a force on the glass who’s at his physical peak and Blake Griffin is a wily veteran whose accomplishments speak for themselves. Provided the two are healthy at the same time and given the opportunity, they form a frontcourt duo that could power the Pistons into winning basketball, no matter how much the game has changed.