Blake Griffin Chose The Brooklyn Nets To ‘Contend’ For An NBA Title, Willing To Play Whatever Role Is Needed

Blake Griffin chose the Brooklyn Nets to “contend” for an NBA championship and says he will play whatever role is needed to help them win.

“My main focus now was to play and contend for a championship,” he said Wednesday on a Zoom call after his first day of practice with his new team.

“So my mindset doesn’t change, I’m always trying to win every time I step on the court. But playing these meaningful minutes, playing with these guys and really contributing in any way possible.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Nets used one of their veteran-minimum-contract slots to sign the 31-year-old Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma. ESPN reported Griffin cleared waivers on Sunday night after agreeing to a buyout of the remaining $56.5 million left on his contract with Detroit on Friday.

Now he joins a Nets team featuring a “Big Three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, although Durant remains out pending the results of a third scan on his hamstring.

Griffin could start in Durant’s place or come off the bench and play some small-ball five, although he’s listed as out for Thursday’s game with Boston due to “injury management.” Griffin said he’s not injured and is willing to do whatever is asked by head coach Steve Nash.

“I’ve watched their last several games, and I’ve had a chance to look at a lot of film,” said Griffin, who averaged 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 20 games with the Pistons. “Just getting out there and playing with those guys, they make the game easy.

“I think now I have the skillset to be able to fit different areas and I hope to be able to help guys out. I’m not going to force anything. Coach Nash has told me to play my game and not worry too much about that. Once we get out there, I think we’ll get a better feel and so I’m excited just to start the process. It already started today with practice.”

Griffin won’t be asked to shoulder the load as the first-, second- or third scoring option on the Nets, who also feature other capable scorers like Joe Harris. He may find himself wide open at times when other stars are being double-teamed.

“The ball finds the best players and for us it’s obviously KD, Kyrie and James and I’ve played basketball a long time and I’ve played with guys like that before,” he said. “Those guys make the game easier so you play off of them and you fill in those spots.”

Griffin said he had to “shoulder” a bigger load with a younger Pistons team while playing a “mentor role” to younger players “and now this sort of reminds me of playing with some of the Clipper teams where you had so many veteran guys and so many experienced guys.”

Nash knows the current version of Griffin is not the high-flying dunking machine the coach played against during his own career, but feels Griffin can still help the Nets.

“He’s had a history of knee injuries,” Nash said. “He used to be a player that lived above the rim and so he’s adapted and become a guy that handles the ball very well, he passes very well, he’s making threes. So he’s adapted and changed his game, it’s a tribute to the skill and intelligence that he has as a basketball player.

“He’s adjusted and flourished and changed his game with three-point shooting, with ball-handling, with play-making, those types of skills that are very valuable in today’s game but obviously a different look from the Blake we became accustomed to in in the early part of his career.”

Griffin feels there is enough time before the postseason to fit in with his new teammates and find his niche.

“I’m just excited to be on the court with them,” he said. “We have two months before the playoffs start and I think that’s plenty of time.”