LOS ANGELES _ Blake Griffin wore Detroit's blue warmups Thursday night at Staples Center while sitting in the seat closest to coach Dwane Casey and his staff. During timeouts, the forward stood near the back of the huddle. After his Pistons teammates made baskets, he clapped.
He did everything but play, his hurt left knee keeping him off the court for the fifth time in Detroit's last nine games, but Griffin's presence was felt nonetheless.
Not only during the Los Angeles Clippers' 126-112 victory, but all season.
From his sideline seat, the six-time All-Star forward watched a Clippers roster whose assembly began two years before, when the organization that drafted Griffin first overall in 2009 and made him the face of the franchise dealt him to Detroit to set in motion a whirlwind roster rebuild.
The picks, players and cap space acquired by the Clippers in Griffin's trade beget more moves, with Philadelphia, Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers, eventually culminating in the late-night trade July 5 with Oklahoma City that added star forward Paul George. His inclusion in the deal helped secure Kawhi Leonard's free-agency commitment.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he believed all along that trading Griffin could transform the Clippers into Western Conference title contenders again. But, he added, "We didn't know when."
It has happened quickly. The possibility of an on-the-fly Clippers rebuild was plain to see a year ago, when Griffin faced his old team as a visitor for the first time since being dealt and dropped 44 points in a Detroit victory. But it wasn't until Thursday's visit that the effects of the trade felt full-circle.
Griffin's trade eventually helped the Clippers land players such as guard Landry Shamet, who scored eight points while starting in place of the injured Patrick Beverley; center Ivica Zubac, who scored eight points and blocked four shots; JaMychal Green, who contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench; and George, who scored 12 points in 16 minutes before leaving in the second quarter with tightness in his left hamstring.
Rodney McGruder started in George's place after halftime, and finished with four points in his 14 minutes.
"Nothing happened, he just felt tightness, said it at halftime and then we just decided not to bring him back," Rivers said. "He's going to be evaluated, clearly. I think it's the back more than the legs."
The injury cut short George's best shooting performance in nearly two weeks. He made five of his 10 shots and was aggressive at the start, hunting the kinds of drives he said were missing at the start of his slump.
"I liked how he came off the pick and roll and made shots," Rivers said. "It's still a matter of rhythm with him and I think he's getting it."
Clippers center Montrezl Harrell finished with a game-high 23 points and Lou Williams, playing two days after the birth of his son, added 22 to lead a bench that scored 68 points. Kawhi Leonard contributed 18 points, six rebounds and five assists and Maurice Harkless nearly notched a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
"We've had games like this," Williams said. "I thought Trez played solid, I played solid. Kawhi did him and PG went down with whatever he's down with but it shows how deep we are, we keep going."
