Blake Griffin’s manager hints at why he was not dunking with Pistons

Blake Griffin is starting to play above the rim again in stark contrast to the latter part of his tenure with the Detroit Pistons. Now his manager is explaining what has been the difference.

Taylor Griffin, the older brother and manager of the six-time All-Star, said this week that the quick turnaround with the start of the 2020-21 NBA season hindered Blake as he worked his way back from knee surgery.

“It was definitely a hurried-up schedule,” said Taylor, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “And I think we saw that a lot of guys just needed a little bit more time to get all the way back to game shape.

“He had already sat out so much of the previous year, there was no chance he’d sit out [the start of this season],” added Taylor of Blake. “His knee was 100 percent healthy, but there’s a difference in your body being healthy and being ready to play NBA level minutes every night.”

Blake went over a year without dunking to close out his time in Detroit. But as soon as he received a buyout and signed with Brooklyn, he immediately dunked in his first game as a Net. Blake has also turned back the clock with some big jams during the Nets’ first-round playoff series against Boston.

That will obviously come as no solace though to the Pistons, who recently threw shade at their former star for the supposed finesse job. But it turns out it may have just been the natural progression of Blake’s return from injury all along.