The Los Angeles Lakers won the buyout market folks! Andre Drummond dogged LaMarcus Aldridge!
The two players in Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge were the crown jewels of the buyout market. The impact of the signings to these two teams caused such a ripple effect throughout the NBA, it will be on the table of discussions during the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations this summer.
After this game, Drummond might have cut the discussions in half!
If these two teams meet in the NBA Finals, Andre Drummond will be a major factor. He rendered Aldridge useless in this game to the point, LaMarcus admitted after the game that he would be watching film to improve his poor play.
Drummond destroyed the center matchup in this game. His big frame bothered Aldridge to the point, the Nets acquisition did not want any part of the physical play Drummond was putting on him. Andre also showed good teamwork with Dennis Schroder in the pick and roll as shown by James Worthy in the Spectrum SportsNet studios.
.@JamesWorthy42 goes 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝟑𝟔𝟎 to dissect @AndreDrummond's impact on and off the ball in tonight's #Lakers win. pic.twitter.com/rEFfc4ZdCl
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 11, 2021
James Worthy is being modest here.
This franchise has been home to some of the greatest centers in NBA history. However, only one managed to do what Lakers newcomer Andre Drummond just accomplished on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.
"Surprising stat (given the bevy of Lakers bigs from the 1980’s to today): Drummond tonight joined Bob McAdoo as the only Lakers to total at least 20 points and 10 boards in 22 minutes or less."
In just his third game as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Drummond becoming only the second Laker player to accomplish a feat like this puts this team back as the top contender for the NBA title when LeBron James and Anthony Davis return.
Double-double (20 PTS, 11 REB) for @AndreDrummond in the @Lakers road W vs. BKN! #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/HLiLdXqnSF
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2021
Drummond finished with a stat line of 20 points (8-15 shooting!) with 11 rebounds (4 offensive!), one steal, and one block.
Drummond’s dominance in the paint was remnant of last year when JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard were policing the interior. Brooklyn was very wary of him driving to the basket and outside of a Kevin Durant dunk, the Nets had one eye on the rim and the other scanning for Andre sightings.
This game exposed a huge weakness in the Brooklyn Nets. Consistent pounding can break them in a seven-game series when the games slow down. They showed vulnerability playing small ball in this game without half of the Lakers roster.
Think about the issues they potentially could have with AD and LeBron coming from behind on weak-side rotations to support Drummond on defense?
Everyone knows superstars are the story in the championship rounds. Whatever combination of stars play better will have an advantage. But this year more than any other, the other players will have to contribute. Read on to see some more players that dominated in their own way, ESPECIALLY after Dennis Schroder was ejected.