For the first time in his career, Blake Griffin may be relegated to a role as a reserve after signing with the Brooklyn Nets and will have to “check his ego at the door,” as relayed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Griffin officially joined fellow big NBA names Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving with the Nets on Sunday. His decision came after a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons late last week.
Griffin, 31, admittedly isn’t the same high-flying force he once was, the result of a recent spate of injuries. But he did manage 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Pistons this season, and theoretically, is still the type of power forward who can really help a contender.
He just may have to do it while coming off the bench. With the Nets, that could mean fighting for minutes with the likes of DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green, Nicolas Claxton and even Bruce Brown, Lewis noted.
Basically, signing Griffin was a good move for the Nets. It certainly won’t hurt. But how he fits, of course, remains to be seen.
“I’m sure he wants to win,” Harden told reporters of Griffin. “If he’s passed on money [to be a free agent], he wants to win and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes, and I’m assuming that’s one of the reasons why he came.
“Obviously, we know the athletic and high-jumping Blake, but as of these last couple of years, he’s knocking down the three-ball a little better, ball-handling is a lot better. He can be a great contributor to this team.”
Durant and Jordan currently start up front for the Nets, with Joe Harris filling the starting small forward role.
