The Boston Celtics, all season long, have projected a team-first mentality through what’s been an overall strong campaign after their NBA Finals appearance one year ago.
With offseason additions showcasing their willingness to take a backseat and step up when needed, Boston has generally flourished. Players haven’t wavered, they’ve said all the right things when questioned by the media and have continuously supported those on the floor.
One of Brad Stevens’ offseason roster additions, Blake Griffin, falls under that category. Making his debut in a Celtics uniform, Griffin has taken the biggest backseat of his career, playing an all-time low 14.4 minutes over the course of 30 games with Boston. Yet, that doesn’t matter to the six-time All-Star, who like all his Celtics teammates, has never experienced winning an NBA Finals.
“I love playing basketball, so obviously any chance to be out there, you take it,” Griffin said, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “But truly and most importantly — I think this goes for a lot of guys in this locker room — the most important thing is us getting wins. So sometimes you just got to bring energy. Like I didn’t have to score a single point in the Portland game. Just wanted to focus on what I was supposed to do.”
So far, so good for the former Slam Dunk Contest champion. Just one year ago, Griffin was playing at a much less efficient level with the Brooklyn Nets, which came after his four-year tenure with the Detroit Pistons.
Griffin has averaged 4.7 points, shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the mark off the bench. Those stats boost when Griffin is called to suit up in Joe Mazzulla’s starting lineup, averaging 8.8 points and shooting 55.7% plus 41.5% over the course of 13 starts this season.
Having that experienced veteran who can provide a physical presence, spark off the bench and knock down a few 3-pointers, can’t be dismissed. Especially down the line when games become much more valuable, Griffin can fill that void when injuries surface.
Perhaps this mindset of placing wins above all will pay dividends during Boston’s two-week road trip, which started in victorious fashion against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. The C’s return to action Monday and take on the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET. from Toyota Center.
