Is Andre Drummond for real or does those stats make him “Fools Gold”?
At 27, Andre Drummond was a two-time All-Star whose career seemed destined for superstardom when he was in Detroit. The plan for the franchise was to pair him with Blake Griffin and build a championship contender. A few years back, it looked like the Pistons was preparing for another era of winning basketball. Detroit gave Drummond a huge $100 million dollar contract.
https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1375972850549555200
Then the small ball era as we know it hit. Soon after, Blake Griffin’s knees wore out and Andre Drummond’s effectiveness waned. With Drummond being a traditional center, his game was becoming obsolete now that teams require their centers to shoot and pass like guards.
Sometimes one statement from the wrong person can set a player’s reputation that can last his whole career. The statement?
"“He can get you 30-20 and have no impact on the game”"
This narrative has dogged him since his days in Detroit. His market value around the last two trade deadlines proves it.
Cleveland acquired Drummond from the Detroit Pistons at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for the expiring contracts of John Henson and Brandon Knight and a 2023 second round pick. This year, the Cavaliers couldn’t give him away for the market price of a reported second round pick.
Look the internet can be a bit harsh with it’s trolling (The last one is the staff’s favorite)…
- Andre Drummond can grab 15 boards a night”….The boards:
- How media is gonna portray Andre Drummond if he signs with the Lakers vs. if he signs with anyone else
- Cavs Andre Drummond was a different beast
Lakers fans need to be careful with their expectations. This signing doesn’t put the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. This is just another support player on a contending team.
If that wasn’t the case, the Cavs could have sold his 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game to some NBA GM getting any type of asset before being forced to buy him out.
The Boston/Los Angeles competition for Andre Drummond will come down to two factors. Drummond will have to decide if he wants to contend this year and worry about the long term deal later (Lakers), or sign with the team with salary cap space can sign him to a long-term deal now (Celtics).
Most believe that the Lakers can offer him the biggest on-court, Lake Show Life is not so sure. Read on to see both sides of the equation.