8/24/2023 0 Comments Blake griffin stats against spursA few weeks ago, he joined former Net Bruce Brown’s Instagram Live and said that he had “been doing offseason workouts since March.”įor those unable to connect the dots, Brooklyn’s season ended officially in late April. In typical Blake Griffin fashion, the high flyer made his feelings about his limited minutes known with a joke. We know Griffin did not appreciate being a benchwarmer to close Brooklyn’s season last year from the most credible source around-Griffin himself. If you want a milestone before your exit, joining that elite group might be a nice one.Īs for Griffin, there’s more evidence of a pending departure from Brooklyn, if not a potential landing spot. At the end of October, he scored his 20,000th point becoming the 48th player to do so. Any team outside the NBA would be blessed to acquire him and that ageless jump shot.Īldridge’s return last season did afford him the opportunity to join an exclusive NBA club. His aforementioned slow feet at the defensive end will hurt him no matter what league he plays in, but at the end of the day, Aldridge is a sure fire Hall of Famer. This past season, Aldridge averaged 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. But at the same time, no NBA front office seems interested in him right now although there was a rumor last week that he might be nice pick-up for the Heat. With Alridge and Messina familiar with each other from their days in San Antonio, Aldridge’s comment have just been a simple joke between friends. When former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina posted a few pictures while at practice coaching his current team in the Italian League, Aldridge commented, “Let me know if you need a shooting big.” A few weeks after the Boston Celtics bounced the Nets from the playoffs, Aldridge hinted at this idea on Twitter. However, Aldridge does seem interested in still playing competitively, if not for the NBA, than overseas. After experiencing some heart-related issues in April 2021, LMA hung it up only to return a few months later with a clean bill of health. There are fewer than 20 roster spots still open around the league not counting two-ways and camp invites, but no real word on where the two former All-Stars -13 selections between them - could next draw a paycheck.įor the 37-year-old Aldridge, retirement does seem like one path he might. Indeed, there’s been little news stirring around as summer peaks and locker rooms fill up. Although both players remain unsigned at this point even with free agency’s floodgates now open for nearly a month, neither player nor the Nets have shown any intent to “run it back.” So with Griffin and Aldridge sitting side by side at the end of the bench to end last season, it stands to reason that they’ll both seek new playing opportunities this summer, assuming one or the other still thinks he can contribute. He traded in his hard hat and steel toed boots for warm up gear, not playing at all in 14 of Brooklyn’s final 20 games last year. His run-ins with the hardwood were few and far between. Taking charges and diving full extension for loose balls will do that for you.īut as the 2021-22 season rolled along, Griffin began returning his uniform clean. Nic Claxton who had had his own durability issues early in the season, replaced him, the Nets trading Aldridge’s reliable offense for Claxton’s D and athleticism.Īldridge was not the only big name on Brooklyn’s roster to make the unfortunate transition from rotation player to bench warmer.īeing a hard-nosed, first-to-the-floor player, Blake Griffin used to end his nights covered with bumps, bruises, and skid marks up and down his jersey. A few health related issues, particularly a troublesome hip that had bothered him early in his career, along with his inability to switch on defense eventually made Aldridge less than playable in Steve Nash’s eyes. Those shots which were once on display nightly were only visible during pregame warmups. However, a cease fire came about during the 2021-22 season’s latter half. Putting little arc on his release while hitting with pinpoint accuracy, LMA’s shots moved toward the net like heat-seeking missiles. Feathery mid-range jumpers floating from LaMarcus Aldridge’s hands were common during the Barclays Center’s opening months last year.
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