NBA Champion Makes Bold Claim About Former Pistons All-Star

Former Pistons forward Blake Griffin recently received some love from an NBA Champion.

Jan 25, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan (6) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) hold back Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It’s hard for the Detroit Pistons to forget what Blake Griffin brought to the table during the 2018-2019 NBA season. During his first full season in Detroit, Griffin produced a career-high 25 points per game in 75 matchups. That year, the Pistons made the playoffs, which is a situation that’s been hard to come by in recent seasons.

When Detroit made a swing for Griffin’s services in 2018, they parted ways with Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and draft picks. At the time, Griffin was a multi-time All-Star coming from the Los Angeles Clippers, where he was called on as the No. 1 pick in 2009.

Recently, Griffin officially announced he was retiring from the NBA at 35 years old. After concluding a run with the Boston Celtics in 2023 and going unsigned last year, the former Pistons forward decided it was time after seeing the court for 41 games two years ago.

Looking back at Griffin’s tenure as a player, one-time NBA Champion, and former All-Star DeAndre Jordan mentioned he feels that Griffin leaves the game as an underrated former player. He explained why on Paul George’s ‘Podcast P.’

“He doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said Jordan. “Just the way his game was able to adapt throughout the course of his career, I thought was amazing. When he first came in, he was a highlight-reel dunker and playmaker, but then when injuries started to affect him, he was like, ‘I could still dunk on [you], but I’m going to work on my 15-footer, my 18-footer, my three, I’m going to work on my ball-handling to where I can become a dominant point-forward.’ If Blake was in his prime right now, he would make $500 million.”

During his Clipper days, Griffin was one of the NBA’s most explosive players. With a lack of a three-point shot coming out of college, the high-flying forward relied heavily on his ability to score at the rim. In year five, he expanded his range. From that point on, Griffin became more versatile and more dangerous to defenses.

While Griffin’s move to Detroit didn’t give the Pistons the long-term boost they had hoped for since the veteran forward started dealing with significant injury concerns, Jordan noted that the six-time All-Star’s run with the Pistons tends to be forgotten.

“You think about Blake, and they was like, ‘He’s going to Detroit? Alright, they’re going to forget about Blake Griffin there.’ He went there and led them to the playoffs, he was an All-Star there, he shot the [expletive] out of the ball from three. He was the leader of that team,” the veteran finished. “I think that definitely gets overlooked.”

“If Blake was in his prime right now he’d be making $500 million.”

DeAndre Jordan on why Blake Griffin's game would translate perfectly in today's NBA pic.twitter.com/i6XiZQlgBo

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) September 24, 2024

Griffin saw the court for 138 games over four seasons with the Pistons. His scoring average resembled his memorable time with the Clippers, as he produced 21 points per game. The veteran also accounted for seven rebounds and five assists during his Pistons tenure. While the lone playoff run was cut short due to injury, Griffin’s Detroit run remains impressive.