Lakers: Andre Drummond is a time capsule at the center position

Los Angeles Lakers center Andre Drummond dominated the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Something occurred to me while watching. I felt as if I was watching a player from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. He fits that mold and I love the fact that he is a fish out of water in an NBA that is different.

It was a time when big men dominated the NBA and three-point shooting was nowhere near the insane madness that it has become today.  It was also a time when the big men played defense and guarded the basket much like King Kong guarded the Empire State building as he swung at airplanes.

The Los Angeles Lakers sure did get a legit big man who is a diamond in the rough.

Andre Drummond has very interesting moves. He is very fluid around the basket and extremely comfortable. His pacing is also very good and he always seems to know where he is on the floor.

Having him plunk down in the middle is so valuable for the Lakers. He is a real threat to opposing teams and makes it much harder for others to come down the lane. It is something that we no longer see in this game today, because so many times, one or two things are happening.

There is no big man in the middle to help defend or players give up and allow the basket to happen. Back in the day, that would never happen. When the NBA was the NBA, oncoming players may get away with one or two trips down the lane but come a third and fourth time, you knew they were going to get hammered hard. With Andre Drummond in the middle, he is the king of that domain.

Opposing teams know that now… or soon will learn.

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Defensively, Drummond is always down low and moving. Something I really enjoy watching and love to see from a big man.  He is always down in his defensive stance, the eye’s on the ball, and head on a swivel. Not standing straight up, hands on his hips and looking unmoveable. He also has very good quick reactions to the opposing player he is defending and makes the opponents alter shots or think twice.

It is something the Lakers needed so much this season. In fact, Drummond gives them a much tighter and better unit than last year when they got dual play from Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Even though they both played well last season, Drummond is an upgrade and beyond. He is much more grounded as a center and has more skills on both sides of the floor. The same can be said for this season with Marc Gasol, who once was a rebounding and defensive juggernaut.

Gasol hasn’t given the Los Angeles Lakers what they need and serves better to come off the bench as a reserve who can pass and hit the occasional three-pointer.

At 6-foot-10 and 279 pounds, Drummond is no lightweight. Yet he doesn’t show his weight. He also goes to the basket very well as I enjoy seeing him getting the ball in the high post and then moving down low. His moves are interesting as he possesses quite a few. It shows how much of a cerebral player he is.

Drummond can dominate a game as he did against the Nets and be the leading scorer if he has to or he can fill the other important needs. That being said, the Lakers have a roster full of unselfish players that are very similar.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and even LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the ability to dominate games or to be successful in other facets of the game.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in tune with this system of winning as a team. They sacrifice and play not as isolated players, but as a collective team. It is something that has to be learned and yet many do not want to do so.

Once again, hats off to Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, Frank Vogel and his coaching team. They have assembled what I feel is by far, the best roster in the NBA.

It is full of talented individuals who all bring certain different elements to the team. Andre Drummond is one of the many great players on this roster and perhaps one of the great moves the Lakers have made this season.