Griffin’s name recognition should help fill seats at Little Caesars ArenaNBAE/Getty Images
The Pistons last night made a blockbuster trade for Clippers F Blake Griffin, and they are "certainly counting on" Griffin to "revive interest in that team in the city, to be a ticket seller," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Pistons have a brand new Little Caesars Arena that is "generally empty." The Pistons are also counting on Griffin to be a "leader and a linchpin on a very young Pistons team that has been trying to find a frontline star player." Wojnarowski: "They hope he can sell some tickets" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 1/30). In Michigan, Ansar Khan writes the Pistons' return downtown "hasn't generated the buzz the organization hoped." The Pistons "needed to make a splash and get this region excited about this team," and Griffin "can do that." It is a "desperation move by a team desperately seeking relevance" (MLIVE.com, 1/30).
MAKING A SPLASH: In Detroit, Shawn Windsor writes the trade for Griffin "should sell a few more tickets, and maybe a few more beers." At the very least, it "gives the team some buzz." The trade "makes sense … for this season." Pistons coach and President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy "wants to win," and Owner Tom Gores "wants to get back to the playoffs." Everyone wants to "help fill the mostly empty seats at Little Caesars Arena." But beyond that, it is an "enormous risk" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/30). Also in Detroit, Vince Ellis writes the trade is the culmination of Van Gundy and Gores’ "quest to land a star." Griffin’s "name recognition should help fill seats" at LCA. But it is a "gamble and reeks of a move that was made to salvage a potential playoff run this year" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/30). The DETROIT NEWS' Bob Wojnowski writes bringing in a "highlight-reel guy like Griffin" is a "bit of a public-relations gambit." Wojnowski: "Does it make sound business and payroll sense? Not really" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/30).
CUTTING YOUR LOSSES: In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes the Clippers trading Griffin was "stunning but smart, a gutsy admission of a mistake and a calculated gamble on the future." The Clippers have "never really had a trusted personnel guy running the show before now, so it's understandable if this is all very hard to endorse." But with consultant Jerry West "pushing it" and Exec VP/Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank "making it happen, their first bold move makes sense" (L.A. TIMES, 1/30). THE RINGER's Kevin O'Connor writes even though the Clippers "dealt their superstar, they aren’t tanking" or "bottoming out." An NBA GM said the Clippers are “starting over.” Sources said that the Clippers are "angling to create cap space to pursue one, possibly two, max-contract players this summer or next" (THERINGER.com, 1/29). In California, Bill Oram writes the issue with the trade is "about loyalty, which the Clippers pleaded for from Griffin when he was a free agent last summer and then so callously dismissed after they conned him into committing" to a five-year, $173M contract. This is an "all-out fire sale from the Clippers" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/30). SI.com's Ben Golliver wrote there is a chance that Griffin becomes a "large-market icon limping through his post-prime years in front of an increasingly bored and disgruntled audience." The Clippers had already slipped from 10th in home attendance in '16-17 to 20th this season and "weren’t going to be able to make that work as the No. 2 team in L.A." (SI.com, 1/29).
