What happened to Blake Griffin? Why isn't he playing? Taking a closer look
Blake Griffin has had an extremely successful career since being drafted No. 1 by the LA Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft. In his career so far, Griffin has made six NBA All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams. However, at age 34, Griffin is now on the verge of falling out of the league.
After signing a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Boston Celtics in September, Griffin played sparingly. The former star put up career lows across the board. Griffin averaged just 4.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game on 48.5% shooting over 41 games. He then fell out of Boston’s playoff rotation, playing in just one of the Celtics’ 20 playoff games during their Eastern Conference finals run. Griffin totaled just two rebounds while going scoreless over six minutes.
Griffin was dealt with lower back soreness earlier in the playoffs. However, even after his return from the injury, he never got any playing time. Instead, he operated as an extra veteran on the Celtics’ bench.
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Blake Griffin expected to move on from the Boston Celtics this offseason
Blake Griffin is expected to move on from the Boston Celtics this season, according to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley. The report says that Griffin could sign with another NBA franchise hoping to get more playing time and an opportunity to chase his first NBA title.
“The full-strength Celtics won’t need him, though, and it’s fair to wonder whether any NBA team will,” Buckley wrote.
“He turned 34 in March and has lost nearly all of his explosion to time. He had 42 shots at the rim this season; only eight of them were dunks. He’s also easy to exploit on the defensive end, particularly on the perimeter. Still, with his basketball IQ and offensive skills, he has a chance to latch on somewhere.”
It remains to be seen if any teams will have an interest in Griffin in free agency.
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