Pistons: What would have happened if Blake Griffin was better in Detroit?

The outcome for all parties in the case of Griffin v Pistons

To be fair, I think that people who aren’t inside the pocket of Pistons Twitter and fandom really don’t understand why there isn’t more animosity towards Blake Griffin. Now he’s dunking! He’s diving on the floor (he did that on an every-game basis for the Pistons)! He’s getting cooked on defense by Giannis Antetokounmpo! Don’t Pistons fans wish he did all that in Detroit??

The thing is, it’s not like this was a fruitful relationship that was ended too soon. It’s not even like it was a relationship on its final legs, where both parties had many fond memories to look back upon that made every fading moment that much more bittersweet.

This was a business arrangement, one that had a maximum of one more year left in it. An arrangement that, when still in place, existed only as an albatross around the necks of all parties. For the Pistons and their fans, there was no such thing as a discussion about Blake Griffin that did not revolve around the topic of how to get him off this team in as painless a fashion as possible.

For Griffin, the clock ticks louder every second that goes by. He may be little more than a ring-chaser for the rest of his career, but he’s going to have to get his guesses right. There are no more Golden State Warriors on which to tag along with in order to get an 80-percent at a championship. Getting his freedom swiftly was as big a win for him as it was for the Pistons to rid themselves of him and get back $13 million in the deal.

So yes, we’re watching Blake Griffin on a nightly basis. Yes, watching him put together highlights brings back fond memories of him putting up 50-point games in an exactly .500 season, but make no mistake that the overwhelming emotions are mere relief it’s all over and hope for the future.