The Detroit Pistons will be without star forward Blake Griffin when they commence their first round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday evening. According to Rod Beard of the Detroit News, Griffin is dealing with left knee soreness and that is keeping him out of Game 1.
Griffin helped lead the Pistons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. His 24.5 points and 5.4 assists per game lead the team and he also averaged 7.5 rebounds, which were second on the team.
Being without Griffin puts the Pistons at even more of a disadvantage. Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith will have to pick the playmaking slack, while Thon Maker will see an increase in minutes at the four. Although he has shown some promise, in flashes, in his brief career, he has struggled to make shots, connecting with a mere 37.3% of his shots from the floor in his 29 games since being acquired by Detroit. Even with that potential, the moment will likely prove too big for him and, at this point, if Thon Maker’s play is make-or-break for the club, then it will just be a cup of coffee that this year’s Pistons will have in these playoffs.
