NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2020-21

25. Blake Griffin, PF, Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons love their big men. From Ben Wallace to Andre Drummond to Blake Griffin, the Pistons are aggressive in adding talented bigs as cornerstone pieces for their franchise. Griffin marks the latest option for a team that has struggled to develop this roster through the draft or free agency for the past decade. After two injury-riddled years, is this the season Griffin is healthy and ready to push Detroit into a meaningful tier in the East?

Griffin has grown since his Lob City days, adding playmaking and an outside shot to his game. He was unlikely to have the bulk to survive at the center, so he instead grew his offensive game to match a changing NBA. He has only played in 118 games for the franchise over three seasons, but in those games has averaged 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists in those games. Staying healthy would mean a run at an All-Star selection and a back-end playoff berth.

In the Mix: Killian Hayes, drafted seventh overall, is the future of their backcourt. He needs to prove himself, but if Griffin’s declining athleticism hits him harder than expected Hayes will have a chance to establish himself as the top dog in the offense. The team threw money at Jerami Grant in free agency, and he has the size of a player who could develop into something special. Derrick Rose is still hanging on as a valuable offensive piece.