Griffin amused by gripes over Nets signings: 'All I've heard is how bad I am'

Blake Griffin feels both he and the Brooklyn Nets have been the subject of some inconsistent criticism.

After Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge signed minimum deals with Brooklyn following individual buyouts with their former teams, some have raised concerns that the Nets - who already had three MVP-caliber stars in James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant - benefitted unfairly from an inexpensive buyout market.

But Griffin said he's now being appreciated by the same people who recently ripped his game.

"It's kind of funny to me because for the last couple years, all I've heard is how bad I am," the 32-year-old said Monday, according to the New York Post's Brian Lewis. "You sign with this team, and everybody's like, 'That's not fair!' People say whatever they want. I don't put a whole lot of value in other people's opinions.

"I trust the people I trust. If I don't go to you for advice, then I'm probably not going to take your criticism. ... I just think it's funny. I guess you could say it's amusing. I can't speak for LaMarcus; I don't know what people have been saying about him. That's how I felt when I came here. I was hearing how bad I was, and now people care for some reason."

Griffin averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while hitting just 31.5% of his threes in 20 games with the Pistons this season - a steep decline from the 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 36.2% 3-point percentage he posted during his first full year with Detroit in 2018-19.

But some NBA executives have apparently taken issue with contenders like the Nets and Los Angeles Lakers being in favorable positions to sign significant players for small sums on the buyout market; the Lakers were able to add Andre Drummond after the Cleveland Cavaliers bought out the center, giving them a frontcourt stopgap with Anthony Davis and LeBron James injured.

"The system is flawed," one small-market general manager told Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck. "You shouldn't be adding to your team this deep in a season without giving things up."

Griffin is registering nine points per game in three contests since joining the Nets, but he put up 17 against his former team in Friday's win over the Pistons. Aldridge, 35, has yet to play for Brooklyn; he won't be available Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews.