Detroit Pistons: Drummond, Embid will be must-watch tonight
By Travis Gibbs
Joel Embiid’s comments and dominant play on the court over Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond will be the main reason to watch tonight’s game.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid didn’t take too kindly to Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. These words started an on-going feud last season between the two players.
“Defensively, he doesn’t play any defense.”
These two teams saw each other four times last season. The Sixers came out on top in all four of those games. Part of that had to do with how well Embiid played against the Pistons in three out of four of those games.
In their first game against Detroit last season, he went for 30 points and nine rebounds on 11-15 shooting from the field.
Joel Embiid on Andre Drummond and why he's not worried about him.
— Marshall Harris (@mharrisonair) December 2, 2017
You know someone is about to be disrespected when they start with, "No disrespect but..." #Sixers. pic.twitter.com/rAbvjglS81
This stirred the pot a little more. Embiid then scored 25 points and pulled down ten rebounds in their second game against each other.
Drummond fouls out and Embiid let him know 😅 pic.twitter.com/HM1cTiQKfD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 3, 2017
Then it went a little further. As a fan of the Detroit Pistons, it’s just a little frustrating to even have to re-live some of this. Can you imagine how Drummond feels?
I think I have an idea. There’s been a flu bug going around the Pistons’ locker room and Drummond was one of the players effected by it.
There was question to whether or not he would play in tonight’s game because of it. After everything from last year, I don’t think there’s any way Drummond would miss another chance at redemption in his personal feud with Embiid.
It’s hard to say much when a player has owned you like Embiid did with Drummond last season. That didn’t shy him away from his moment to talk last season.
In response to Embiid, Drummond told me, "I mean you can't really have a conversation with a man who can't play a back-to-back... I've been playing for six years and I've missed maybe 4-5 games. So when he can play a whole season without taking a rest, he can come talk to me."
— Johnny Kane (@JohnnyKaneBSD) December 2, 2017
Well, Embiid hasn’t exactly played a full season yet but he’s accomplished more important things than Drummond. That starts with winning playoff games.
It’s time to step up and perform against guys like Embiid. If the Detroit Pistons are going to be taken seriously, these are they type of games they will have to start winning.
That starts with players like Drummond winning their individual match-ups on the court. The Sixers are likely going to be without point guard Ben Simmons tonight so it’s even more critical for them to shut down Embiid tonight.
Drummond put in a lot of work this off-season after having a very successful 2017 campaign. I think I can speak for a lot of fans when I say it’s time he takes that next step.
That next step can start tonight.