Andre Drummond has withdrawn from USA Basketball training camp, set to begin on Monday, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times.
Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond has followed suit of his NBA peers and is focusing on the upcoming NBA season.
The eighth-year center withdrew from USA Basketball’s consideration for the World Cup roster, according to the New York Times’ Adam Zagoria. Drummond was expected to be one of 18 players competing for the 12-man roster that will represent USA Basketball in the 2019 World Cup in China, which finishes in mid-September.
Drummond, 25, is entering the final year of his contract, though he does have a $28 million player option for the 2020-21 season.
The Pistons center has led the NBA in rebounding in each of the past two seasons, and three of the last four. He set a career high scoring mark, averaging 17.3 points per game last season.
Over the past month, Drummond hasn’t been shy to share snippets of workout videos, including an impressive 3-point showing. He’s even showcased it in a few games this summer.
Andre Drummond's hitting step-back 3's now. 😳 (via timelesskobe, mattmarshall11/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/9w4Ph8xOqR
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) July 26, 2019
Pistons mini-camp is in late August, which Drummond would have missed had he played with Team USA. It will also give him extra rest before training camp in late September, whereas if he played in China he would have two weeks to rest before gearing up for the NBA season.
Drummond holds an NBA record for most seasons with at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 blocks, the Pistons announced early this week.
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He’s accomplished the feat four times during his seven-year career he has achieved such, proving to be a two-way threat on the court. He was 11 blocks shy of that mark during the 2016-17.
For Drummond, he’s already experienced winning a World Cup with USA Basketball when they went 9-0 in 2014. Though health hasn’t been a factor for him in his career, playing 78 games or more in his six seasons as a full-time starter, he could use the extra rest to help a Pistons team that seeks a third playoff appearance in five years.
Health be a factor for Detroit to snap a 14-game playoff losing streak that dates back to 2008, when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons have been swept in the first round three times since then.
Health will also factor in how Drummond plays this season, which could be his last if he chooses free agency in 2020.
What do you think of Drummond’s decision to skip representing the USA Basketball? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.