LOS ANGELES – The defining theme of 2019 for the Pistons: injuries.
The 2018-19 season ended under the dark cloud of Blake Griffin’s knee injury and it’s hovered over the 2019 portion of the current season like a storm front that refuses to budge.
With Monday’s loss at Utah, the Pistons went 37-45 – almost never with their preferred starting lineup. For 2019-20, it’s yet to happen.
Griffin missed four of the last seven regular-season games and the first two playoff games last April, then the first 10 of this season and 14 of their 34 games to date.