5 things: Clippers are triumphant in Blake Griffin's return
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Washington Wizards, 114-109, on Sunday afternoon in Blake Griffin's first game back since Dec. 25.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday's tilt:
Guess who's back
Blake Griffin's career began with a dunk off a lob, and his 2015-16 season appropriately began anew with one as well. Things weren't exactly smooth from there, as the intricacies that make a lineup click -- the spacing, the timing, the choreography -- were a bit off with Griffin still readjusting to his teammates, which is to be expected.
Griffin finished with 6 points (2-of-7 shooting), 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes, as well as a game-high plus-22 +/-. After missing the past three months, Griffin was clearly rusty, but you couldn't tell by the product on the court.
Small-ball sample
One of the key developments in last season's playoffs was the Clippers using Blake Griffin at center -- particularly in Game 7 against the Spurs -- and thriving. The Clippers aimed to nab stretchier wings to play alongside Griffin this past offseason and at the trade deadline, and believe they have them in Jeff Green, Wesley Johnson, Paul Pierce and Luc Mbah a Moute.
Allow me to reintroduce myself! ?#BlakeDoingBlakeThingshttps://t.co/FaLUWI9CHs
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 3, 2016
With several small-ball 4 options, the Clippers tested it out with Griffin and Green at center and power forward, respectively. The tandem didn't fare particularly well, but look for the Clippers to keep trying various lineups with Griffin at center moving forward.
A sharper weapon
DeAndre Jordan has scored 10 or more points in 17 consecutive games (he scored 12 points Sunday), the longest streak of his career, according to the Clippers. The Clippers have been looking for him more with duck-ins and quick-hitting post-ups, hoping to leverage his size and athleticism before opponents can even react.
Jordan is the Clipper with the most to lose with Griffin back, as his offensive role will undoubtedly shrink, as could his crunch-time minutes (with Griffin playing at center more). For now, though, Jordan remains sneakily effective beyond his usual offensive production.
The odd man out
Griffin's return naturally causes a shift in the rotation, and it appears Pablo Prigioni is the odd man out. Coach Doc Rivers used a bench lineup of Cole Aldrich, Green, Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, and, on paper, that's probably the best second-unit group.
When Pierce returns to the lineup, it'll be interesting to see who gets bumped between him and Johnson (likely Johnson). Depending on the matchup, though, Prigioni could provide a steady hand, and could move one of the wings out of the rotation.
Playoff picture shaking out
The top of the playoff picture is set in the West, with the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder and Clippers locked into seeds one through four, respectively. After that, the Grizzlies and Blazers are jockeying for the No. 5 spot, and a chance to play the Clippers.
The depleted Grizzlies appear to be the easier matchup, but they have a history with the Clippers, and would be physically draining to battle, even in a short series. The Blazers, meanwhile, have a high-scoring backcourt and have played better as the season has progressed -- Damian Lillard has the potential to take over a series, too, which could be a scary prospect.
There's no clear-cut answer to which matchup would be easier for LA, but it's looking like the Blazers are the more realistic opponent at this point.
Jovan Buha covers the NBA for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @jovanbuha.
