Auburn Hills — While the Pistons have struggled without Blake Griffin in the last three games, what they have missed has been more than just one thing. Beyond the scoring, the ball-handling and the leadership, it’s just his presence.
Teams have to defend the Pistons differently with Griffin in the lineup and make him their primary focus; without him, they don’t have to double-team or slant their defense to one side of the court.
In essence, he settles things down and brings normalcy to the Pistons’ lineup, where Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Wayne Ellington can shine in their roles.