Getty Blake 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.
The Miami Heat are undoubtedly a team to be reckoned with following a flurry of free agency moves, adding Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, and Markieff Morris, but Brooklyn Nets veteran Blake Griffin is not worried.
On August 12, the 32-year-old forward told New York Daily News reporter Kristian Winfield that neither the Heat’s new lineup nor the Los Angeles Lakers‘ restructured roster, intimidate him.
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“Blake Griffin on the Lakers, Heat and other teams adding stars this summer: “You look at it but at the end of the day, things on paper, it’s tough to say. I’ve been in situations where a team stacks up and it doesn’t work out.” #Nets,” Winfield tweeted.
Back in early March, numerous reports linked Griffin to possibly joining the Heat after receiving a buyout from the Detroit Pistons. Ultimately, he signed with the Nets to play alongside James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving.
The six-time All-Star averaged 10 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 26 games with the Nets during the 2020-21 NBA season. Griffin’s postseason performance was even more impressive. He averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals during the Nets’ seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Griffin is set to return to the Nets for the 2021-22 NBA season. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted on August 2, “Six-time All-Star F Blake Griffin has agreed on a one-year deal to stay with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Sam Goldfeder of @excelbasketball tells ESPN.”
Ex-Heat Player Nemanja Bjelica Also Tossed Some Disrespect Toward the Heat Organization
Much love, Beli!
Griffin is not the only NBA veteran unimpressed by the Miami Heat. Last week, Nemanja Bjelica, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, seemed pretty thrilled to leave South beach.
Warriors beat reporter Connor Letourneau tweeted on Friday, “Nemanja Bjelica on last season: ‘I wasn’t injured, I just didn’t play… Sometimes it’s hard to accept that this is a business. Finally, I’m in a winning organization. There is no better place to be than here. There’s no excuses.”
Bjelica also said he didn’t lose any sleep about leaving Miami. “It took less than a minute. I just said yes. I didn’t think one second. To be part of this historic organization is pretty exciting,” Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman tweeted.
The 6-foot-10 Serbian native only played 11 games with the Heat after being traded from the Sacramento Kings on March 25. In exchange, Miami sent the Kings Chris Silva and Moe Harkless. During his brief stint with the Heat, the former second-round pick averaged five points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.
Miami Heat’s 2021-22 NBA Roster So Far
Imagine if we re-sign Victor Oladipo 👀
While the Heat said goodbye to Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Trevor Ariza, and Bjelica, the team also lost Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa in the deal that brought Lowry to Miami.
Thus far, the following 14 players are locked in for the Heat’s 2021-22 NBA season:
Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, P.J. Tucker, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, KZ Okapala, Dewayne Dedmon, Markieff Morris, Victor Oladipo, Udonis Haslem, and Omer Yurtseven.
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