Blake Griffin Records Double-Double in Pistons Debut, Win vs. Grizzlies

The Detroit Pistons earned a 104-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at home Thursday as Blake Griffin made his Pistons debut following a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Griffin finished with a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) and added five assists. According to STATS, no debuting Pistons player had produced a 20-10 game since 1994:

Griffin had a hand in what proved to be the biggest shot of the game, as he passed off to Anthony Tolliver, who connected on a three-pointer to put Detroit ahead 101-100 with 1:49 remaining.

All in all, it was an excellent Motor City debut for Griffin.

Blake Griffin First Game in Detroit Highlights

His teammates celebrated by dousing him with water after the game, which the NBA shared on Twitter:

Andre Drummond finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Together, he and Griffin form perhaps the strongest Eastern Conference frontcourt duo. Griffin's playmaking ability also meshes well with Drummond's rim-running traits.

The pair put that on display in the second quarter, as Griffin found his fellow big man for an alley-oop:

Fitting Griffin into the team's setup will take time for head coach Stan Van Gundy, especially without the aid of an offseason to work out the kinks in practice.

Still, Griffin's numbers speak for themselves, and the Detroit News' Rod Beard thought Van Gundy was already making adjustments to cater to the five-time All-Star:

Thursday's game did highlight one of the biggest issues the Griffin trade created for Detroit. By sending Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris to Los Angeles, the Pistons sacrificed wing depth, and they were already without starting point guard Reggie Jackson thanks to an ankle injury.

Compounding matters, Drummond battled foul trouble, limiting him to 28 minutes against Memphis.

Detroit's bench combined to score 25 points, compared to 35 for the Grizzlies. Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson also played 35 and 36 minutes, well up from their season averages of 24.2 and 27.3, respectively. 

A team with Griffin and Drummond is likely to have problem with spacing, and that was evident. Detroit shot 7-of-25 from beyond the arc. Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine noted the domino effect the lack of consistent three-point shooters can create:

Some growing pains are to be expected as Griffin adjusts to his new team. But the lack of proven wing players and an inability to space the floor are problems that time won't solve by itself. How Van Gundy addresses those issues will likely determine whether No. 9 Detroit climbs into the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons have four games remaining on their homestand, which culminates with a matchup against Griffin's old team Feb. 9. Griffin told ESPN.com's Nick Friedell he learned of his trade to Detroit through Twitter and "through other people," so revenge may be squarely on his mind when he takes the court against the Clippers for the first time.

The game will be must-see television for any basketball fan.

The Grizzlies will remain on the road for their next two contests. They'll play the Toronto Raptors on Sunday and face off with the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Memphis won't have much time to rest after the conclusion of its four-game road trip, though, with a home game against the Utah Jazz looming Wednesday.