Blake Griffin finally made his Nets debut on Sunday.
It was the veteran forward’s two-handed dunk – his first since 2019 – that had the Barclays Center crowd on his feet. But it was Griffin’s subtle impact on the Netsege on Washington that made Steve Nash smile.
“I thought Blake was great,” Nash said. “I do not think he filled the state summit, but only his experience, intelligence, made winning points. 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 in 14:57. But after completing a plus-point 12 game, he showed basketball prowess and defensive versatility.
“He was a wonderful man, just to be out there again and to get some rhythm going was wonderful,” Griffin said. ‘It’s hard to recreate like a real atmosphere. So getting out there, you felt good and felt it was a good start. But you know, some naturally have room to improve. ‘
Griffin charged Bradley Beal, opened up Landry Shamet for a 3-pointer, and yes, blew through center Robin Lopez for a two-handed dunk. It was his first since December 2019, and the Cheshire Cat grin on the way – with Nets’ bench bursting – showed how much it means.
“It felt great. I knew once that happened it was going to be something. And so I tried not to look at the couch when I came down again. But then I peek like that, and I see the DeAndre completely on the side, and I see [everybody] rise. So it’s hard not to smile in that situation. But it felt good to just get it out of the way and move on, ”said Griffin, who said he heard the crowd’s reaction.
“I think our crowd was great,” he said. ‘Obviously limited, but our crowd was huge. I noticed it a bit, I tried to stay locked in, but definitely heard [them]. But the best part of a great crowd is that there is a moment in the game and fans are knowledgeable, they know what’s going on, they will cheer for everyone in our team. I always appreciate playing in front of crowds that know what’s going on. ”
Landry Shamet has been given a right ankle strain and will be evaluated on Monday.
“I do not know [the severity]. “He will definitely do a scan or imaging, and we will go from there,” Nash said. “But unfortunately I have no further details.”
Kevin Durant missed his 15th game with a hamstring injury.
As the Nets have to fill one of their two open lists by Monday, they will do so by adding Alize Johnson, 6-foot-7, 212 pounds. The move was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post.
Johnson was a second-round pick in 2018 and played his first two years sparingly for Indiana, shooting 41.4 percent off the field last season and 37.5 deep. He dominated the G-League for Raptors 905 and is a favorite on Monday to be named MVP of the league. He averaged 16.6 points and was second in the bounce (13.3) and efficiency (27.2).
Johnson draws interest from the Magic, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs and Suns, according to The Ringer. Brooklyn still has an open position with the deadline threatening Thursday and Shamet’s injury. If they need a long-term replacement, JJ Redick – who lives in Brooklyn during the off-season – could be a potential fit.