Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond loses 30 pounds

Detroit Pistons’ fans may not know how to feel about this team with its poor performance a year ago and with super teams still intact, making it difficult to project a path to a title anytime soon. But perhaps there is more to be excited about then originally thought. Just look at Andre Drummond who looks like a whole new person.

For any Detroit Pistons fan out there that is having a hard time finding reasons to be optimistic this season, I present to you one of the most encouraging storylines of the offseason for the Pistons.

Andre Drummond, the guy who we all thought was giving minimal effort and taking steps back after reasoning a max contract, has lost 30 pounds. He’s also reportedly jumping higher and moving faster. Oh, and he also had surgery to repair a deviated septum that wasn’t allowing him to breath.

Excuses? No.

The surgery to repair his nose should make an extreme difference and can explain his back and forth effort. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at this beauty that our own Shameek Mohile wrote about the procedure.

Drummond spoke about his weight lose, and Reggie Jackson chimed in on Drummond’s surgery, both of which cou

Jackson and Drummond via Detroit Free Press:

"“I feel fantastic,” Drummond said. “Right now, I’m at 285. I lost 30-something pounds, ballpark. I’m moving faster, jumping higher. I feel great overall. A lot of conditioning this summer to really get myself in tip-top shape.”Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson believes Drummond will have a big season, as the team transitions to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit.“That will definitely help, with his ability to breathe and stay on the court,” Jackson said Monday. “Losing that weight, and being able to attack both ends of the court, is going to be tremendous for us. He’s our engine. The car can only go as far as your engine takes you.“When it comes around this league, there’s only a few teams blessed to have ‘that’ guy, (who) can take you to another level. And he’s that guy.”"

Consider me a believer. I think Drummond is another player poised to bounce back this season, though his free throw shooting and lack of offensive repertoire are still giant craters in his game that could make him a liability in critical situations for the Pistons.

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We will have to wait and see how Drummond’s offseason translates to the court, but I am optimistic that this is going to be a bounce back year for the Pistons.