Los Angeles Lakers: Reasons for and against signing Blake Griffin

The Los Angeles Lakers should sign Blake Griffin

Yes, Blake Griffin has been really bad in each of the last two seasons and the injuries have certainly piled up. While the Los Angeles Lakers know they are not getting the same player, that should not stop them from taking the flier.

That is all a buyout signing is at the end of the day. It is a flier on a player that was not valuable enough for any other team to trade for that you are hoping can have an impact. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.

But there is more potential with Griffin. We know how good he can be and while that ship might have sailed, even 60% of the old Griffin at this point is better than what most teams have at the backend of their rotation.

The Lakers are not a three-point heavy team anyway and perhaps they look to convert him back to his old playing style and have him dominate near the rim, especially in transition. He is nowhere near as athletic, but running with LeBron James, he would do just fine.

Yes, the Lakers do not have unlimited roster spots but that is just fine. I would rather take a risk on Griffin than bank on Damian Jones making any sort of tangible impact. And if the Lakers really need to bring someone else in they can waive Alfonso McKinnie.

We saw the kind of change that playing on a contender and playing next to LeBron James can have on a veteran big man in Dwight Howard. Why not take the chance and hope that lightning can strike twice?