When Blake Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons last year, the belief was that he was upset about the deal.
Griffin had just signed a long-term contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He seemed excited about remaining with the team for the future and being a franchise cornerstone. His son was in Los Angeles, his social life was in the city, and that was the only NBA team for whom he’d played. Even if all that may be true, Griffin now says he is grateful for the trade.
“Yeah, I’m glad it happened,” Griffin told the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike. “I’m not saying I don’t miss certain people. There were some awesome fans that I got to know and I felt like I was very close with them. And there are some people you miss over there, but it was just time for a fresh start.
“I’m glad to be here.”
Griffin was able to spend the offseason trying to improve his game, which has shown through his ability to take and attempt long shots. He’s become a regular 3-point shooter and is making 39.6 of them this season — an impressive mark. His 25.3 points per game is a career-high. He even has the team in position to make the postseason.
Maybe the deal really was the best thing for his career.
