Pistons rule Blake Griffin out for playoff opener

It’s hard to see the Detroit Pistons making much noise in the NBA playoffs, but it’s even harder to see it happening without Blake Griffin.

Griffin, who has been bothered by a knee injury down the stretch, will not play in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to coach Dwane Casey. He is still considered day-to-day.

Blake Griffin is OUT for Game 1 between the Pistons and Bucks, Dwane Casey said. He is still day-to-day.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) April 14, 2019

Griffin hasn’t played since the first half of Detroit’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies last Tuesday. He sat out the season finale against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, so he had nearly a full week of rest. It’s concerning that it still wasn’t enough to have him ready for the playoff opener.

Previously, it was stated that Griffin couldn’t make things worse by playing through the injury. The fact that he’s not ready for the playoffs indicates just how severe things are.