Detroit Pistons 2019-20 preview: Andre Drummond’s profile
Reviewing Drummond’s 2018-19 Season
Overall, Drummond had a stellar showing during the 2018-19 season.
The UConn alum averaged 17.3 points, 15.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field, leading the league in rebounding once again and continuing to show improvement on the defensive end.
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Looking beyond the gaudy rebounding numbers, advanced metrics show that Drummond is a talented defender at the center position.
He recorded a 100.3 Defensive Rating, good for No. 3 in the league behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hassan Whiteside. Additionally, Drummond ranked No. 1 in Defensive Win Shares and No. 9 in Defensive Box Plus/Minus.
On the offensive end, Drummond’s game is still quite limited. He’s an effective rim-runner and lob catcher, but has failed to expand his game in any meaningful way. Despite the work he’s put in to improve his 3-point shooting, he’s still not a threat from beyond the arc.
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In reality, however, this is unimportant. Detroit does not need Drummond to be a lethal 3-point shooter. When he plays to his strengths, his skill and athleticism make him an elite presence on the court.
Related Story. Counterpoint: Andre Drummond will be a 3-point asset. light
Defense, rebounding, and efficient offense is about all a team can ask of its center. Drummond delivered, and then some.
By February, Drummond had found his groove. It proved to be his best stretch of the season as he averaged 21.2 points and 16.1 rebounds per game on 63.2 percent shooting. As writer Duncan Smith pointed out, Drummond was playing on another level by the end of the season:
It’s gonna take some time for the greater viewing public to catch on to the fact that this is a completely different Andre Drummond than the one they joke about.
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) March 31, 2019
That’s ok because we know better. The new Andre Drummond is a killer.
While Drummond’s production couldn’t save the lowly Pistons from a sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs, his performance throughout the season showed that he still may not have reached his peak.
Can Drummond continue to improve during the 2019-20 season?