Blake Griffin finally made his Nets debut Sunday.
It was the veteran striker’s two-handed dunk (the first since 2019) that made the people at Barclays Center stand up. But it was Griffin’s subtle impact on the Nets ’win over Washington that made Steve Nash smile.
“I thought Blake was great,” Nash said. “I don’t think he filled in the statistics sheet, but only his experience, his intelligence, made him win plays. After 15 minutes, I was over 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 2:57 p.m. But at the end of a more-12 game, he showed insight into basketball and defensive versatility.
“He was a fantastic man, just being out there again and having a little bit of pace was fantastic,” Griffin said. “It’s hard to recreate yourself as a real game environment. So to get out there, it already felt good and I felt it was a good start. But, you know, some of them have something to improve on, obviously ”.
Griffin took care of Bradley Beal, projected Landry Shamet open for a 3-point corner and, yes, blew Robin Lopez through the center for a two-handed dive. It was the first since December 2019 and Cheshire Cat’s smile on the track up (with the Nets bench erupting) showed the meaning it had.
“It simply came to our notice then. I knew that once it happened, it would be something. And so I tried not to look at the bench when I came back down. But then I took a look and saw DeAndre all next to me and I saw [everybody] stand. Therefore, it is difficult not to smile in this situation. But I thought it would be good to get out of the way and move on, ”said Griffin, who said he felt the reaction from the crowd.
“I think our people have been fantastic,” he said. “Viouslybviated limited, but our people have been fantastic. I noticed a bit, I was trying to stay closed but definitely listened to [them]. But the best part of the big crowds is when there is a moment in the game and the fans are aware, know what is going on and will cheer on any of our team. I always appreciate playing in front of crowds that know what’s going on. “
Landry Shamet suffered a sprained right ankle and will be assessed on Monday.
“I do not know [the severity]. It will definitely have an exploration or images and we will go from there, ”said Nash. “But I don’t have any more details unfortunately.”
Kevin Durant missed his 15th straight game with a hamstring injury.
With the Nets due to fill one of their two roster spots open before Monday, they will do so by adding Alize Johnson, a 6-foot 7, 212-pound forward. ESPN first reported on the move and confirmed The Post.
A 2018 second-round pick, Johnson had played in moderation in Indiana his first two years, shooting 41.4% from the field last season and 37.5 deep. He dominated the G League for the 905 Raptors and is the favorite to be named league MVP on Monday. He averaged 16.6 points and was second in rebounds (13.3) and efficiency (27.2).
Johnson drew interest from Magic, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs and Suns, according to The Ringer. Brooklyn still has an open spot on the roster, with the deadline to negotiate on Thursday and Shamet’s injury. If they need a long-term replacement, JJ Redick, who lives in Brooklyn during the offseason, could be a potential fit.