The Detroit Pistons are coming off a disappointing 2018-19 NBA season. As a result, there is plenty of speculation regarding whether or not they plan to build around power forward Blake Griffin moving forward.
Detroit's lackluster effort in the playoffs made it clear that this team is in need of some major upgrades. Per Rod Beard of the Detroit News, however, senior adviser Ed Stefanski insists it will not come at the cost of parting ways with Griffin:
“Blake Griffin is pretty darn good. He’s a warrior, what we saw out there. I don’t know what package someone could offer — I don’t shop him.”
Despite the Pistons' struggles, Stefanski has been optimistic about the group they have put together in recent years. They made headlines with last year's mid-season acquisition of Griffin in exchange for a package of notable players and future draft picks. Although they were able to get a star player on the roster, Detroit does not have very many assets to spend at this point in order to make improvements.
Griffin has played well since his arrival. He finished the 2018-19 season averaging a career-high 24.5 points on 46.3 percent shooting from the field. He also tacked on 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
Unfortunately, the trio of Griffin, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond struggled to take advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference. They managed to sputter their way into the eighth seed with a .500 record before providing little resistance against the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round. Regardless, it appears the front office is still committed to Griffin as their cornerstone.
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