Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond will be a three-point asset in 2019-20

3) Dwane Casey and the Stretch-Big

Dwane Casey is a good coach. Winning NBA Coach of the Year, which Casey received for his work in Toronto during 2017-18 season, is not an easy feat if one does not recognize the league’s general trends.

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The rise of positionless basketball and the stretch-big is not something that has escaped Casey’s periphery. Not only did Casey seem to be in the process of expanding Valanciunas’ game (who had similar three-point stat lines as Lopez’s early career) in the years before being fired by the Toronto Raptors, but Casey’s move to Detroit in the wake of that firing seems to be what sparked Drummond’s offseason three-point workouts.

The stretch-big is a key to success in today’s NBA, with players like Lopez and Drummond having to expand their games outward in order to keep up with younger stars like Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic or Kristaps Porzingis.

Casey lucked out by stepping into a team with a veteran big in Blake Griffin already expanding this part of his game. Griffin made small ripples in the news this summer for nearly matching his career total in three-pointers made in last season alone. Griffin, who went 189-of-522 last season, fills a role as stretch-big needed in today’s NBA.

Because of this, and because of Drummond’s assets as a rebounder and post player, it is unlikely Drummond will attempt 500, or even 300, three’s this season. However, if Drummond can launch in the range of 150 three’s this year and connect on them at Lopez’s 36 percent rate, opponents will have to take Drummond seriously from behind the arc, which in turn would open floor spacing and help young and undersized wings, like Bruce Brown, to finish at the rim.

Drummond will likely not see the production Lopez has found in developing his three-point shot, but with Griffin already in that role the Detroit Pistons don’t need him to. Despite a quiet offseason on his social media, however, don’t be worried to find Drummond behind the arc more often next season. And don’t be surprised when he finds success back there. Detroit Pistons fans have already seen it at the free throw line. Something will be next.

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