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The NBA is changing and Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin is one of the players who is adapting to fit the new era of pace and space. Don't believe me? Just ask Kevin Durant.
The Golden State Warriors star spoke about the evolution of Blake Griffin and how well-rounded the Pistons big man has become.
“Blake is not playing like a traditional big, in my opinion,” Kevin Durant told James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “He’s shooting a lot of 3s and handling the ball in pick-and-roll at the top of the key. But to have two big guys that you just can’t switch anybody on, that’s the new evolution of going back to the two bigs. You have bigs that go to the perimeter, shoot 3s and initiate offense, but, also, score in the post and play in the pick-and-roll as a roll man.
“I think Blake is well-rounded as a player, and he’s getting better every single year. He’s adding the step-back 3, the off-the-dribble 3, and it’s making him tough to guard.”
Big men have two options: adapt or die. Well, there are bigs who can still survive without completely changing their game, but those players are becoming less and less frequent.
Griffin, however, is the perfect example of a player who added layers to his game to ensure that he kept up with the evolution of the league. As Durant puts it, he can do it all and is comfortable in just about every situation a power forward will find himself.
Not to mention that Griffin is also excelling in those situations by using his versatility to exploit whatever mismatch his defender presents.
