Los Angeles Lakers: 3 position battles heading into the playoffs
Marc Gasol VS. Andre Drummond
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Andre Drummond on March 28 to fill in as a better version of JaVale McGee from last season. Andre Drummond was supposed to add rim protection and rebounding while pressuring opposing defenses with hard drives to the rim and putbacks off of misses.
Unfortunately, Drummond has been mostly horrible for the Lakers over the last couple of weeks, opening up an honest debate about whether Frank Vogel should insert Marc Gasol back into the starting lineup.
Marc Gasol has shot 70 percent from the field over the last 15 games (50 percent from distance). He’s taken care of the ball nicely, averaging 0.2 turnovers per game, and the Lakers have played much better with him on the court (+2.3 points across the last ten games).
On offense, the ball seems to skip across the court when Marc Gasol’s on the court and his ability to knock down shots from deep also helps clear the opposing big out of the lane for his teammates to attack the rim. On defense, the Spaniard is still a solid presence in the middle, but when opposing bigs drag him outside, at age 36, he can’t stay in front of them.
Andre Drummond’s picked things up over the Lakers’ recent back-to-back set against the Knicks and Rockets, but his offensive performance over the last 15 games pales compared to Marc Gasol’s production.
Drummond is shooting a meager 56 percent from the field on chiefly gimmies at the rim. He’s also coughing the ball up two times per game, again primarily by bumbling gimmies at the rim. Making matters worse, Drummond spends almost all his time on offense lurking by the lane, allowing opposing centers to hover near the rim and contest shots off drives.
Despite Drummond’s warts, he has value. The former Piston has a career 33 rebound percentage, making him one of the best rebounders in league history. Often when things tighten up in the playoffs, and clean looks are scarce, the team that’s able to nab a few key offensive rebounds ends up winning the series. Drummond also has a knack for finding space down low for quick passes from AD, LBJ, or Dennis Schroder, which lead to good looks near the rim.
On the less glamorous side of the ball, Andre Drummond moves his feet well on the perimeter for a 6-10, 280-pound center, allowing the Lakers to switch assignments when necessary. Drummond will not pick up many blocks, but he guards the post well and competes at the rim.
Frank Vogel should start the bulkier Marc Gasol against teams like the Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz that feature hulking centers, Nikola Jokić and Rudy Gobert. Gasol is more capable of guarding them in the post, and on offense, he can drag them out of their comfort zones near the rim and make them play 23 feet away from the basket.
When the Lakers square off against teams with a more mobile center like the Mavericks (with Kristaps Porzingis) or Suns (with DeAndre Ayton), Frank Vogel should start Andre Drummond because he’s lighter on his feet than Gasol and can check them on the perimeter. Drummond can also bully these smaller centers in the post for easy baskets.