Why Blake Griffin wouldn’t dunk while with the Pistons

Blake Griffin has looked like a new man ever since the Brooklyn Nets picked him up earlier this year following his extended stint with the Detroit Pistons.

One thing fans couldn’t help but notice immediately was the newfound spring in Blake’s step.

The 32-year-old has been dunking on opponents left and right – reminiscent of his high-flying days with the Los Angeles Clippers.

This week, Blake’s older brother and manager, Taylor, spoke to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne regarding why the Nets star suddenly rediscovered his hops.

As it turns out – it’s a pretty logical explanation: the offseason was too short.

“It was definitely a hurried-up schedule,” Taylor said.

“And I think we saw that a lot of guys just needed a little bit more time to get all the way back to game shape.

“He had already sat out so much of the previous year, there was no chance he’d sit out [the start of this season]. His knee was 100 percent healthy, but there’s a difference in your body being healthy and being ready to play NBA level minutes every night.”

Griffin went more than a year without a single dunk while in Detroit. The fact that he quickly changed that in Brooklyn speaks volumes about how seriously he is taking the Nets’ current title run.

Although Kyrie Irving recently went on at length regarding why winning a championship isn’t the most important thing to him anymore, Griffin doesn’t subscribe to that philosophy. He wants a ring – and he clearly wants it this year.