10 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons first quarter of season
3. Drummond’s improvement
Drummond was especially impressive without Griffin the first 10 games. Even since Griffin returned Drummond has been solid at both ends of the floor.
He again is leading the league in rebounding, grabbing 16.8 per game, and is up to 2 blocks per game. Where he’s been most impressive, though, is his passing and ball-handling.
Drummond isn’t going to break anybody down or be able to handle fullcourt pressure, as the Charlotte Hornets proved in a key moment earlier this season. What he has shown is his ball-handling adds another element to his game in a half-court setting.
trade rumors. Hornets have interest in Andre Drummond. light
He now has the ability to consistently take opponents off the bounce from the perimeter or high-post and get down to the low block. Being able to do that at 279 pounds is a huge asset that allows him to leverage his strength once he gets into the post.
Drummond’s unselfishness has been chief among his improvements. He’s routinely found an open shooter and has made some impressive passes through a clogged paint area to get them there. In turn, his assist numbers have risen to 3.2 per game, on pace to be a career high.
The challenge for the Pistons will be spacing with Griffin’s return. Drummond takes up a lot of space in the paint on offense but with his ability to drive from the perimeter and skilled passing in dribble-handoff sets or from the post will maximize the offense’s potential.