Andre Drummond is back with the Sixers for his second stint as Joel Embiid’s backup. The multi-time All-Star center first played for the Sixers in the 2021-2022 season and was regarded as one of, if not the best, backup of Joel Embiid’s career, and it’s not hard to understand why.
During his last stint with the Sixers, Drummond averaged over six points per game and just under nine rebounds. While that is a far cry from his All-Star years, the stability and professionalism Drummond brought to the backup center position were infectious.
Drummond is not a score-first big man. His minutes should be combined with a true shot-creator when he is on the court, especially this upcoming season. With Tyrese Maxey ready to improve on his All-Star season last year and Sixers’ shiny new small forward Paul George, Drummond should have no shortage of stars to support. Add in guys like Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon, alongside rookie Jared McCain, and Drummond can truly be trusted to do what he does best: rebounding the basketball.
Last season for the Chicago Bulls, Drummond grabbed 9.0 rebounds a game while only playing 17.1 minutes a night. Per 36 minutes played, that is an astonishing 18.9 boards a game. For those who haven’t blocked out this past year’s playoff series with the Knicks, rebounding was the Sixers’ biggest area of opportunity.
In addition, Drummond has shown that he can still be a high-level, short-term starter in this league. Just last year, he started 10 games for the Chicago Bulls. In those 10 games, he averaged 14.1 points and a mind-bending 17.9 rebounds a game. During his last stint in Philly, he started 12 games for the Sixers; he averaged 9.0 points and 14.3 rebounds per game.
While he won’t be able to play that way for a full 82-game season, his ability to step up when needed over the past few years has completely changed his perception of the league. There was a good reason the Sixers tried to acquire him at the trade deadline this season and why they were so quick to lock him down when he hit unrestricted free agency.
It’s very interesting the way that Andre Drummond’s career has gone so far. He went from being one of Joel Embiid’s biggest rivals in Detroit and a multi-time All-Star to potentially being one of the most important role players in Embiid’s career.
It is truly special to see someone mature and grow as a basketball player so quickly. Watching him turn from a rival into an ally for Embiid and Philadelphia is a great storyline that the greater NBA media has yet to pick up on.
The Sixers have made it clear to everyone in the world that they intend to compete for a championship over the next few years, and Andre Drummond may very well be one of the most important role players in the pursuit of that goal.
