Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond
C - 6’11, 2795lbs - 24 years old - 6 years of experience

In previous seasons, Drummond was what we say in Britain ‘all mouth and no trousers’. Quite a lot of style, plenty of potential, but not much in the way of results. Not unless those results were rebounds.

Not any more, though. Thus year, Drummond became an All-Star, and a worthy one.

The rebounds are still there. Indeed, Drummond just became the second player in the last 40 years to average at least 16.0 rebounds per game in a season, the other being Dennis Rodman. But he paired that with much improved defence, and also much improved offence.

More important, though, was the defensive ascent. Drummond was far more engaged on that end this season, with better and more regular first and second efforts all over the court. Some turnovers aside (the offensive role is still new to him), Drummond really did blossom this year, giving the team a core between him and Blake Griffin to build around. Now, the two have to be made to fit better.

Player Plan: Three years and $81,279,057 remaining. Having come good on it, every reason to stick with it.

Andre Drummond
C, 6’11, 279lbs, 23 years old, 5 years of experience

Still hugely inefficient in the post, and although the passing out of it has slightly improved, the predictability and touch has not. Nor has the foul stroke, which remains under 40%. More worryingly, the defence is in-creasingly less aggressive, letting shots go uncontested in favour of rebounds and not getting to where he needs to be on perimeter action. He is plenty capable of such, but looks somewhat dejected at times. Still young and extremely durable, but also now very expensive, and needs to make more improvements than he has done in years prior. Particularly defensively, where he could be somewhat dominant. Could be a foundation piece going forward still, certainly, but could also be worth cashing in on depending on the trade market.

Player Plan: Four years and circa $105 million remaining on his max contract. It is not a pay packet he has yet justified. Needs a breakout year.

Andre Drummond

We won't know until it's over quite whether or not Drummond's career is a reminder of why mental make-up tests shouldn't be too overvalued in light of a player's actual abilities and impact, but the indications from his rookie season suggest that it will be.

Pick 9: Andre Drummond goes next to Detroit, a risky pick with a possibly high reward that a team so thoroughly moribund until this point can afford to make. Drummond, who looks like the love child of Amare Stoudemire and Al Horford, takes to the stage to the sound of his own biological field notes, as Jay Bilas goes to town with the phyical description of this unpolished athletic specimen. Bilas's penchant for doing this led to a drinking game being created in his honour a few years ago, and Bilas, a man of the world, knows about it. He even referenced it in last year's broadcast. Jay Bilas, it seems, wants to get you drunk.

(Remember Amare and Al's wedding? I do. Cracking afternoon. Good buffet spread, I seem to remember. Oh no wait they hate each other.)

Drummond joins the growing list of criers tonight, while Mark Jones describes how Drummond first left high school early to go to UConn, and now leaves college after only one year to come to the NBA. This is potentially disconcerting news framed in a positively light (heartbreaking loyalty, etc), and the only real surprise comes Drummond doesn't walk off from his interview half way through.

(This would have been the worst joke of the night had Jones himself not topped it, first asking Andre about his questionable motor, then wrapping things up with the punchline "Detroit knows about good motors, right?" I really like Mark Jones in this role, but not even my dad would laugh at that. Still, cheers for falling on your sword for me there.)