Alumni Profile: Andre Drummond

Looking Back:  No one knew what to expect from Andre Drummond’s rookie season.  He had all the tools to be an NBA star center, but questions about his work ethic surfaced around draft time and his status slipped.  The Pistons snagged him up and they weren’t disappointed.  He displayed a toughness on defense with a shot blocking mentality that easily transitioned from the college ranks to the NBA and he also rebounded well, which was to be expected, but it was his ability to score around the basket that opened many people’s eyes.  He soon became a work in progress to a legitimate rotation piece for Detroit and his work in the Summer League has also shown some growth to his game.

The Good: Size, length, and athleticism are all on display in Andre Drummond.  He has feel for blocking shots, finishing plays around the rim through contact, and can hold his position on defense. He runs the floor well and gets much of his points through lob dunks or put-backs. His upside is tremendous and he is just scratching the surface to what he can do.

The Bad: It starts with one of the ugliest free throw shots in the game.  That also leads into not having a jump-shot at all which relegates himself to playing either a post-up game or lobs around the hoop for his offense. Without developing a consistent free throw shot, he will be relegated to having to sit out the end of tight ball games.

Looking Ahead: It will be interesting to see how Drummond’s game progresses heading into his second season as a pro.  He’ll need to consistently rebound and play defense without fouling, but he will also have to show an ability to score on the block.  He is so young and the only thing slowing his growth as a player is his work ethic.  He is on the verge of becoming on of the top centers in the NBA and needs to continue to build on what he did the previous season.