Getty Blake Griffin against the Magic.
The Brooklyn Nets are being ravaged by the COVID protocols and it has even resulted in the postponing of games.
Through all of this, it has given Nets big man Blake Griffin a chance to crack the rotation again. He got off to a horrendous start to the season and was eventually removed from the lineup.
Griffin provided a big boost when he was signed last season, but hasn’t been able to capture that flash of brilliance again so far this year. However, he might’ve turned a corner after the team has been forced to rely on him more.
With so many players out of the lineup, Griffin has been thrust back into the action and he’s provided a big boost to the team. While his defense isn’t really there, he’s able to step up in a different way by drawing charges.
When you couple this with his much-improved shooting, you might have a reignited Griffin who is in the midst of proving to the Nets that he belongs in the lineup for good going forward.
Numbers Are Up
GettyBlake Griffin #2 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates a dunk in the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks during game two of the Eastern Conference second round series at Barclays Center on June 07, 2021.
On the season, he’s averaging just 6.7 points per game on 36 percent shooting, but you wouldn’t be able to tell those are his stats if you’ve only been watching his recent return to the lineup.
Griffin has logged more than 30 minutes in his past three games, and in those games, he’s scored in double digits in each of them and his shooting percentages are way up.
He’s shooting 48.5 percent from the floor to go along with 30 percent from three, which isn’t the greatest but it’s a vast improvement from his play earlier in the year. These are the types of performances the team should expect from Griffin, especially if he’s a third or fourth option on the team.
More importantly, the Nets have gone 2-1 during this stretch. However, there is cause for concern as Griffin did post a negative +/- in each of the games, but it’s hard to read too much into that as the team is missing many of its key players.
Nets Getting Stronger
GettyHamidou Diallo #6 of the Detroit Pistons and Blake Griffin #2 of the Brooklyn Nets battle for the ball at Barclays Center on October 31, 2021 in New York City.
If there’s one bright side to all of this, it’s that Kyrie Irving is starting his return to the team. Due to his status as an unvaccinated player, he still won’t be able to play in any Nets home games, but he will be able to be with the team on the road.
Of course, this decision comes after the Nets lost much of their roster to the health and safety protocols, so there’s no telling what the plan will be when all of this is sorted out.
The Nets were adamant they didn’t want Irving to be a part-time player this season, and this is exactly what he’d be even if he does get through all of the protocols and eventually join the team.
Irving is still one of the top talents in the NBA, so the Nets might find themselves thinking having a part-time Irving is better than having no Irving at all.
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