Blake Griffin is 33 and no longer has his old legs, it’s an understatement, but the Boston Celtics still decided to sign him this summer to strengthen an interior sector hit by injuries. So that he brings minutes off the bench, and experience off the court.
How far away are the famous days of Lob City, when DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin entertained the entire planet at the reception of Chris Paul’s alley-oops. So far that Blake Griffin has even spent 465 days, almost a year and a half anyway, without slamming the slightest dunk in the NBA. Well, the stat was a bit exaggerated because he had only played regarding twenty games over this period, but still, it shows us that times have changed. Certainly, there are mitigating circumstances: age does not help to gain relaxation, neither do successive knee injuries, the fact remains that he no longer has the same athletic qualities, which were unfortunately the basis of his game for him.
Free agent Blake Griffin has agreed to a one-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 30, 2022
A small one-year contract at 2.5 million dollars, it remains in line with what he received in Brooklyn, that is to say a lot less than what he might have at the Pistons for example. In view of its production, it is not necessarily a surprise. BG remains on a very complicated season alongside Kevin Durant and others: 56 games, 17 minutes on average for 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, it’s frankly little for a guy who has already finished third in the race for MVP. The Nets therefore did not seek to keep him and we understand them, but the Boston Celtics saw something in him, and therefore decided to give the veteran a chance.
It’s a story of injuries, first, which Brad Stevens had to react to. That of Danilo Gallinari, just arrived from Atlanta and already out for the whole season, the fault of cruciate ligaments which decided to bother him a second time, ten years later. And a new incident which has confirmed that the arrival of Blake Griffin was essential. Robert Williams III, who was able to establish himself as an indisputable starter last season, was also injured. A knee operation, eight to twelve weeks of unavailability. The domestic sector therefore needed reinforcements in Boston, and that is what Griffin will be able to provide.. He should therefore be Al Horford’s back-up at post 5 and complete the rotation, surely in the third curtain, at post 4. But we still have the impression that with what he has shown recently, he is above all there to fill a void. A few minutes (which will decrease with the return of Rob Williams), a bit of scoring, a courageous but average defense, no matter how hard you look, all this does not look very good from a sporting point of view. And the Oklahoma City native is aware of that, as he said at training camp earlier this month.
“I will bring stability off the bench. We obviously have pivots and Rob and Al will have a lot of playing time… Stability and whatever you want me to do. If Horford and Williams need a break, I can help out. I did not come to demand a certain role. I’ll plug the holes, to help this team win a title. – Blake Griffin
Winning a title is obviously the assumed objective for Joe Mazzulla’s players. They narrowly failed last year, once morest a team accustomed to these major events. Accustomed, these Celtics were not and this is necessarily one of the reasons for their defeat. This season, finding the finals may be a little more complicated, especially because of the suspension of their coach Ime Udoka. A situation that is neither trivial nor easy for players, in which experience can play a decisive role. Let’s not beat around the bush, you see where we are coming from. While Blake Griffin’s contribution to the pitch remains to be determined and is likely to be limited, his experience can be a huge asset in the locker room. And he has a lot to spare: 13 seasons in the big league, only 25 active players have more. One of those is his teammate Al Horford, who is the only other player over thirty in this squad.
The stars of the franchise are young: Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams III are 24 years old, Jaylen Brown will be celebrating his 26th birthday in exactly one week, if you read this paper on the day of its publication, of course, but that we have no doubt regarding it . Blake Griffin will therefore be able to bring his experience, his wisdom, and we feel that recruitment this season is focused around this notion. : Malcolm Brogdon, Boston’s flagship rookie, is turning 30 and will begin his seventh season in the NBA. This youth, even if it is beautiful to see and wins, was perhaps a weak point for these Celtics last season. Blake Griffin is there, above all, to remedy this.
If his contribution seems limited on the sporting level, Blake Griffin will be able to play a mentoring role with this young Celtics team. Experience, knowledge of the League, ability to manage the weak times and the strong times, all of this is learned over time and he had some. It is up to him to pass on his wisdom.