Blake Griffin sat out the Pistons’ regular season finale against the Knicks due to a lingering knee injury, but was listed day-to-day and there was hope he could return for the playoff series with Milwaukee.
On Sunday night, Griffin was officially announced as being out and the Pistons proceeded to get thoroughly dominated by the Bucks in a 121-86 loss on the road. It was a brutal showing from Detroit, who unsurprisingly struggled offensively without their All-Star forward, and unfortunately it seems unlikely that things are going to get better over the course of the series.
Griffin told reporters he’d be playing if it were up to him, but as coach Dwane Casey noted, it’s in the hands of the medical staff as to when he plays and given that the last time he returned he dealt with swelling and pain, they haven’t yet given him the clearance needed and want to wait for him to be 100%.
#Pistons Casey on severity of Blake Griffin's knee injury:
"I don’t think (he) can worsen it. I don’t think that’s (the medical staff's) mindset. They just want him to be 100 percent when he steps out there." https://t.co/9ZqXtFbDdV— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) April 15, 2019
#Pistons Dwane Casey on Blake Griffin injury: "People (hear) 'soreness' and say he can play, but the doctors are telling him what his body can do and not do – and that’s who’s making the decisions….I’m not qualified to tell him when to play and not to play in those situations."
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) April 15, 2019
That’s not an especially encouraging update and Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill has heard from sources that Griffin is “likely” done for the series (and as such, the season).
If that is indeed the case, things figure to get uglier for the Pistons against a Bucks team that dominated lesser opposition all season, going 32-9 against non-playoff teams this season. Without Griffin, this Pistons squad is not a playoff caliber team and Milwaukee showed that, unlike some of their counterparts near the top of the East, they don’t lack the focus to stay locked in and roll through a weaker team.
