3. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (Restricted)
Coming into the 2012 NBA Draft, there weren’t any teams really questioning the talent of the big center out of UConn, Andre Drummond as he made his way into the league. However, there were concerns about how hard he played in college and about his mentality as he entered the ranks of professional basketball. It’s safe to say that he’s made the Detroit Pistons look quite smart for taking him at No. 9 in that draft over the last four years.
Drummond has developed each year that he’s been in the league and has truly become a dominant force. While he’s not a tremendous shot blocker defensively, he’s progressed miles on that end of the floor. In addition to that, he’s one of the most lethal roll-men in the entire league. His averages this past season of 16.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game were no fluke as he’s capable of that almost night in and night out against anyone.
Free throw shooting (which is abysmal) aside, Drummond is going to be coveted highly as a restricted free agent this offseason. However, it seems like there’s no team other than Detroit—including the Lakers—that are going to have any chance of landing him as the Pistons will match anything so to keep him around.
Next: No. 2 LeBron