Pistons coach: Blake Griffin knee issue cannot get worse by playing

The Detroit Pistons are fighting to get into the playoffs, and they’ve subjected themselves to some questions by using a hobbled Blake Griffin to do it.

Griffin is battling left knee soreness and was clearly hobbled in Sunday’s loss, going just 5-of-18 from the field. The situation is severe enough that he sat out three consecutive games despite the Pistons being right in the middle of a playoff race.

So why isn’t he sitting more? According to coach Dwane Casey, Griffin’s knee issue has reached the point where it’s simply not going to get any worse if he plays through it.

#Pistons Dwane Casey said Blake Griffin is at a point where his playing can't injure the knee any worse, according to the medical staff. That's … interesting.

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) April 7, 2019

Griffin has a lengthy history of knee injuries, which makes this so concerning. He’s also Detroit’s most important player, and the franchise has only made the playoffs once in the last decade. They don’t want to miss out, even if they’re not really contenders to go beyond the first round.