James Edwards III: Griffin, “Gritty, In Your Face, Bruising” Embodies Pistons’ Identity

*Due to dynamic advertising, excerpt time stamps may vary per listener

According to James, the Pistons are all in on Griffin, but that sentiment could change in a hurry (10:23-11:07):
“They love him. The city loves him. I really, truly believe that he likes playing in Detroit. He likes this challenge of building an organization up and trying to get it to a height it wasn’t at before his arrival. But with that said, I would not be surprised if this team misses the playoffs…with those three guys [Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Griffin] being relatively healthy, I think that says a lot. And I would not be surprised if they capitalize on how good Blake has been, and they finally begin a rebuild and they try to trade him.”

On how Blake Griffin’s stellar season has largely gone overlooked (13:45-14:22):
“People just generally don’t tend to like the Pistons. I mean, it doesn’t help, too, that they haven’t been relevant in 10 years. And Blake Griffin is one of those superstars that because of his injury history was kind of…maybe passed up by some of the young guys that have come into the league in terms of national talking points and when you put together lists. So it’s kind of a perfect storm when you get a guy who’s reinvigorated his career, who’s stayed healthy, who’s showing how good of a player he can be and has been when he’s healthy, and now he’s on a team that not many people care about.”

On Stan Van Gundy’s most glaring problem with Detroit (15:16-15:40):
“Stan’s issue in Detroit was that he was the team president. And I’ve written a couple times about that dilemma of having a guy who’s the head man on the sideline and the head man up top, and just kind of the balance of power that comes with that, whether it be looking down the bench and you want to win as a coach and then you go sign a guy to a lucrative deal that you think helps you win now but hurts you for the future.”

Detroit’s potential playoff X-factor (23:40-24:05):
“Dwane Casey talks about all the time some of those battles between the Raptors and the Heat in the playoffs, and Wayne Ellington would just go off. And I think that’s kind of just the hidden gem you have to have as a playoff team— that guy who you don’t expect, that guy that you probably expect to only score 10 or 12 points, but he can get you 25 in a game just because he’s such a good shooter and he can get hot. Those are the X-factors that playoff teams really need when maybe their starters are struggling to get going.”

Twenty-two-year-old Luke Kennard’s potential is explored (25:30-26:30):
“The one thing that hinders and kind of covers up… the love around [Luke Kennard] is that Donovan Mitchell went before him. That’s really the only beef you hear about Luke Kennard, and I think it’s unfair. Luke Kennard is a guy that potentially could shoot over 40 percent from 3 in his first two years as a pro. Donovan Mitchell’s a great player. He’s a go-to scorer. Would he have been the same in Detroit…It’s all about fit. I understand in hindsight what people can say and will say, but Luke Kennard to me has proven he could be a really good player in this league for a good amount of time. He’s not just a shooter. Everyone wants to compare him to J. J. Redick and Kyle Korver because it’s the easy thing to do, but I see a little bit more Goran Dragic in his game. He’s a guy that can work the pick and roll.”

On Ish Smith’s fit with Detroit, his first real NBA home (31:02-31:29):
“His style is much different than Reggie Jackson. To be corny and cliché, it’s almost like thunder and lightning. Reggie Jackson, the knock on him is he dribbles the ball too much. He holds on to the ball too much… He’s more of a meticulous player. Ish Smith is go, go, go, and I think it’s exciting for the Pistons fans. On top of that, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, always has a smile, win or loss.”

Here’s James’ piece referenced in the final question.