A.J. Griffin, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks is contemplating taking a break from basketball, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Griffin was recently traded to the Houston Rockets, with the Rockets and Griffin both preparing for his potential departure from the sport.
Griffin, who is the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, was highly touted as a high school prospect. He was ranked 12th in his class by 247Sports and played for Duke University for one season. During his time at Duke, he averaged 10.4 points per game and helped the team reach the Final Four before ultimately losing to North Carolina. Following his collegiate career, Griffin entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Hawks.
His rookie season with the Hawks showed promise, as he averaged 8.9 points per game and started in 12 games. Griffin had some standout performances early on, including two games where he scored a career-high of 24 points. However, his playing time decreased in his second season, appearing in only 20 games. With the Rockets, Griffin would have faced tough competition for playing time due to a crowded roster of young talent.
It remains unclear how long Griffin intends to step away from basketball. While it is uncommon for a young player in the NBA to take an extended break unrelated to injury and then return to the sport successfully, there has been no indication as to whether Griffin’s absence is temporary or a permanent retirement. At this time, it appears that Griffin will be taking a hiatus from basketball for the foreseeable future.
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