Blake Griffin finally made his Nets debut on Sunday.
It was the two-handed dunk of the veteran striker – the first since 2019 – that made the Barclays Center crowd stand up. But it was Griffin’s subtle impact on the Nets victory over Washington that made Steve Nash smile.
“I thought Blake was great,” said Nash. “I don’t think he filled the stats sheet, but only his experience, intelligence, made winning moves. In 15 minutes he was a plus-12, so I thought Blake was great, and you can see how he can help us. “
Griffin had just two points and two rebounds at 14:57. But, finishing a game over-12 high, he showed basketball acumen and defensive versatility.
“It was great, man, just being back there and kind of picking up a little bit of rhythm was great,” said Griffin. “It is difficult to recreate it like the atmosphere of the real game. So, to get there, you know it was good and that it was a good start. But you know, some have room to improve, obviously. “
Griffin took control of Bradley Beal, opened Landry Shamet to a 3-point corner and, yes, passed through Robin Lopez’s center for a two-handed dunk. It was the first since December 2019, and the Cheshire Cat’s smile on the top path – with the Nets bench erupting – showed just how much that meant.
“It was great. I knew that, once it happened, it would be one thing. And then I tried not to look at the bank when I was coming back down. But then I kind of peeked and saw DeAndre right on the side, and I saw [everybody] standing. Therefore, it is difficult not to smile in this situation. But it was good to just get that out of the way and move on, ”said Griffin, who said he heard the crowd’s reaction.
“I think our audience has been great,” he said. “Obviously limited, but our audience has been great. I realized a little bit, I was trying to get stuck, but I definitely heard [them]. But the best part about big crowds is when there is a moment in the game and the fans are well informed, they know what’s going on, they cheer for anyone on our team. I’ve always enjoyed playing in front of crowds who know what’s going on. “
Landry Shamet suffered a sprained right ankle and will be evaluated on Monday.
“I do not know [the severity]. He will definitely do a scan or image and we will start from there, ”said Nash. “But I don’t have any more details, unfortunately.”
Kevin Durant lost his 15th game in a row due to a hamstring injury.
With the Nets having to fill one of their two open spots in the squad by Monday, they will do so by adding 1.80 m tall striker Alize Johnson. The move was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post.
A choice for the second round of 2018, Johnson played moderately for Indiana in his first two years, shooting 41.4 percent from the pitch last season and 37.5 from the depths. He dominated the G-League for Raptors 905 and is one of the favorites to be named the league’s MVP on Monday. He averaged 16.6 points and was second in rebounds (13.3) and efficiency (27.2).
Johnson attracted the interest of Magic, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs and Suns, according to The Ringer. Brooklyn still has an open position with the negotiation deadline approaching on Thursday and Shamet’s injury. If they need a long-term replacement, JJ Redick – who lives in Brooklyn during the off-season – may be a potential option.