[jwostrumParticipant]

I really think a lot of people slept on Drummond in the draft, and I think this year was just the beggining of what he will become. I think in a short time he will be the best C in the nba. He already seems to have a great desire to improve( the exact opposite of what his scouting report said). Thoughts on how good Drummond can be?

[roni3Participant]

I have watched Drummond a good amount of times this year. Athletically this kid is out of this world, his vertical is at least 38 or 40 ” and he has a Howard type body. If he works on his post game the sky is the limit, if not he still reminds me of A DeAndre Jordan. It kills me to say this but doesn’t it seem like for all these young ballers coming out of college so early that the only way they reach their full potential is to work on their motor? How hard is it to play hard, play with some emotion and at least pretend your in the game and want to win rather then show up one game and not the next or take certain plays off. I am from Connecticut and a friend of mine played against Drummond in AU basketball, he said he never saw anything special about this kid but I disagree.

[HaleParticipant]

Drummond is better then DeAndre Jordan right now.

[alingeParticipant]

As a Clippers fan I second this, DeAndre Jordan is one of the 5 worst contracts in the league at the moment

[Sharp ShooterParticipant]

Seem like your friend is bitter as F%$k about Andre Drummond

[treytalkssports.comParticipant]

Agreed – He needs the right coach and he needs guards who can open the floor for him to work inside, but Drummond could be really special.

[tdo1996Participant]

Drummond has loads of potential. The work he put in between his time at Uconn and the NBA is incredible and is showing off now. If he keeps working as hard as that (which I would find hard to believe that he wouldn’t) he’ll be an all-star by the time hes 22 (currently only 19!) and possibly even the best center in the game by the time he reaches his prime. You look at how efficient he is and the numbers he puts up while only averaging 20 minutes a game at 19 years old….once he gets put into the starting lineup (sliding Monroe to the 4), watch out for Detroit. Kid is going to be something special.

[roni3Participant]

Yah kid has got potential, but Detroit is still a long way from being a playoff team, they still have to keep drafting well, and developing these young players. But they have the twin towers in the paint.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

i agree. The pistons have such little depth at their forward positions. i mean singler is great and has had a great seeason, the other bright spot for the stones this year. also, aside from drummond, theres really nobody at all on the pistons that you would really say is a great defender. . hopefully they can get otto porter and get some depth at SF and that good defender.

[benjo34]

Depends on his work ethic,he really can be great his physical tools are incrediblehe can be duble duble guy just based on that

[SiggyParticipant]

Low double double guy and really good defender. I don’t see the instincts or touch on offense that lead me to believe that he’ll be anything more than a finisher.

[LA12Participant]

I’ll admit I was scared of the idea of my Blazers drafting Drummond because, well, they’re the Blazers. But he’s proved me wrong in his rookie year. I really loved his game in high school but he just didn’t play the same way in college. He’s gone back to his old self in the NBA.

That said I could see him peaking at 19/12/4 in the right situation.

[Bird_YearsParticipant]

I wasn’t completely sold on him before because he never started, but since he got the start he’s been putting up 11 points, 8 rebounds and a block on 64% shooting in 25mpg. Detroit also got a couple solid wins against Eastern foes during that stretch (Toronto, Chicago and Philly) and went 5-5.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

Drummond has crazy potential, I think he could be one of the best at his position to do it, IF he comes around the right coach and works hard.

[Ghost01Participant]

Listen I really like Drummond, but lets be honest. He averaged 7.9 Pts, 7.6 Rbs, and playing 20.7 minutes per game. Great efficiency? Yes. But he is far from being a good NBA player right now. There is a reason he didn’t play more minutes this season. He is still a rookie, and a young player. I love his potential, and I think he will be a good player. But lets not act like its a sure thing he is going to be averaging 25 and 15 in a couple years.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Great efficiency but far from being a good player? No one is saying he would average 25 and 15. How do you get to 25 looking at the 8 points he scores in 20 minutes? But could he be an elite 14 and 13 with huge blocks? Sure. And that would make him a top five center in the league.

[SiggyParticipant]

Here’s an interesting stat on Andre. He has 114 made dunks this season, 208 FGM. Over half of his made FGs were dunks. 342 FGA. Assuming he made all of his dunks (which he probably didn’t), he shot 41% on all attempts that weren’t dunks and 37% from the line. I’m supposed to look at that and think that he can eventually be a near 20ppg scorer in this league?

[HaleParticipant]

The only signs that point toward that are how productive he has been so early and how much he has improved since the beginning of his freshman season in college. Even then it’s still unlikely. But you have to like what you see from him so far. I mean his pro numbers are better then his college numbers were and every time he got the playing time he produced.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

Not saying 20 but close to it because the thing about Andre and the dunk stat you just showed us is like Blake and Dwight, Andre is so physically gifted dominant he can dunk when others can’t. I’m sure if you looked at Dwights rookie year it’d be the same story.

And for the record I do think that Drummond has move offensive potential then Dwight did at the same age. Drummond does seem to have more fluidity and grace on offense where Howard just had pure power and speed.

[SiggyParticipant]

You would figure that Andre would be physically dominant but he’s not. Physical dominance is more than just physical tools. Physical dominance has a lot to do with temperament too.

Comparing prep level Drummond and Howard isn’t even fair. Howard looked to dominate and physically impose himself on opponents, which is why he was more than just a physical specimen/ freak athlete big man with project-ability . He produced like a future superstar and won just about every single accolade as a HS senior that a player could win. He looked to establish position in the post and fought to maintain it. Even if he had only rudimentary moves, his understanding of big man play was SO far more advanced than Drummond’s. When Howard got to the league he had a basic understanding of positioning, which is the most important thing for a post player. His moves weren’t the prettiest or most fluid, but he had all the basic moves that he needed. People say that Dwight doesn’t have a post game or whatever, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Since maybe his 3rd yr in the league, he’s been one of THE best post scorers in the league and amongst the league leaders yr after yr in PPP from the post. His problems in the post have more to do with ball security, passing out of doubles and a lack of a counter turnaround jumper.

If you watched Drummond in HS, you rarely saw him ever try to establish position in the post, even if he had a 50 lb weight advantage over his opponent. Believe it or not, this kid wanted to be a SF. He’d often drift out to the perimeter and pass the ball around, like he was content being a ball mover. And when he did catch the ball in the post, he’d use finesse moves like fade away jumpers without creating space, when all he needed to do was drop step and finish through contact. All that resulted in underwhelming production his junior and senior seasons for guy of his talent. He was rated where he was because of how much of a freak he was, but his production did not match his physical talent. It was the same case at UCONN as well. The better guard play and freedom of movement in the paint in the NBA is more beneficial to his game and he was productive, but even in that production, what skill has he shown would give anyone the impression that he’s a future 20 ppg scorer? You can’t just take his per 36 numbers and extrapolate. That’s not how it works. For him to be a 20+ ppg he would have to be a go-to player, which he has given no sign that he can be.

Drummond doesn’t have the instincts, he doesn’t have the touch and he doesn’t have the temperament. You could easily say, “Well, if he works on all that he can be a monster.” And? You can say that about any player. If every player were able to improve on all their weaknesses, then we’d see more great players in the game. Being able to learn and incorporate skill is not attached to supreme athleticism and physical talent. Instincts can’t just be born through coaching. A player can’t just change his natural temperament either.
There’s a reason why JaVale McGee is the player that he is.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Is a a much better prospect than Jordan. Shoots it better too. I liked what I saw at UCONN from him. Could not believed he was not a top 3 pick. College is not geared towards big men. Its a guards game.

[SiggyParticipant]

Shoots what better? Because it can’t be basketballs. They’re both awful shooters.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I agree with most of yall and I was actually high on him for the draft because I felt he could be no worse than Favors who was putting up good numbers the year before in Utah when he got minutes. It was stupid for all of the teams that needed a big man to past on him. Favors unlike Cousins was not seen as a problem child so no need for his stock to drop. He should have been a lock to go top 4 picks He did go to a good situation though.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

i dont see why this guy cant average 20 a game in the future… if hes getting already 8 points off just put backs and dunks… imagine if he got more minutes and improved his offensive game… and hes 19… his future is scary good.. i will be dumbfounded if dumars trades monroe… those two work nicely together together.. at this point monroe hides drummonds offensive weaknesses since drummond can get easy put backs and dunks off monroes misses

[MkadozaParticipant]

18pts-13reb-3ast-2stl-3.5blk 60%fg and 60%ft good? He will not get 20 points a game unless he’s in a Dwight in Orlando type scenario, and thats not really good for the Pistons.

[XYRYXParticipant]

If consider Roy Hibbert as a ceiling stats wise for example just to have him as a measurement, you can make arguments that Drummond has already received this level. Drummond is fy far not in the top spots when you talk about an offensive threat with a lot of options but he scores perfectly as a slashing, running and catching big men who scores inthe flow of the game.

Take into account, that a lineup of Drummond and Monroe could both averaging around 34 mins a game together and think about at statline both oufthem will hand out!?

Monroe is right after Marc and Pau Gasol as well as Joakim Noah the best passing big in the League. Cousins is elite in this category too but tends to play more from Midrange and doesn’t count as a Center to me way to often.

Andre Drummond will be the big to beat in the east if Noah continues to struggle with injuries while beeing forced to play BIG minutes.

If he stays health he will be a beast. Wath out for him getting like 11 to 12 rebounds at the end of next season!

I pray that the Pistons will find the right coaching staff to build this team around this two bigs with patience.

Why not give Pat Ewing finally a shot as a head coach? He is is around like forever as a individual and assistant inthe league, worked with Dwight in Orlando and Knows how to manage a Frontcourt.

Can’t be worse than this year and could really be a team on the right track if they don’t mess up this years draft.

Play a sold (near Playoff Spot) and add another top 14 pick in the strong 2014 draft and they are set brilliantly for the next years getting Salary to spend also!!!

Drummond could be scary if it falls all toghether the right way!

[jwostrumParticipant]

if he puts it all together there is really no telling what he can do. also he has shown spurts this year of massive potential. I think he will eventually be the best player from this draft and teams will be asking themselves why they did not take him. the guy has an absolute limitless ceiling. he looks like he is really putting the work in compared to what he looked like in high school and at UConn.

[SiggyParticipant]

“Unlimited potential” or “limitless ceiling” talk is just rhetoric that really has no meaning. Of course he has a ceiling and IMO it’s capped on the offensive side of the court. Just look at his touch, his instincts, footwork, lack of moves and range etc.

Like I noted in my post above, 41% from the floor on attempts outside of dunks. He was pretty awful on offense in college too. What progress has he made? He’s better at making himself available for oops and dump offs. Thats pretty much it. Usually players who project as future 20 point scorers show better instincts to begin with and show more progress than he has offensively, even in the span of a yr.

[XYRYXParticipant]

Your right he has a lot of limitations offensively but Tyson Chandler put it together to and gets a double double easily without having a post game. I think Drummond will have a similar offensive game to Noah in about 3 or 4 years which means he will have a midrange shot if open and an arsenal of spin moves and pump fakes to be effective. To me Drummond has very good hands and is a underratet ball handler for a guy of his size.

Look at how far Dwight made it without making any progress for about 5 years on the offensive end. Dwight is a lot less effective if he isn’t as explosive as he was before his back injury but this doesn’t mean we isn’t able to get like 17 to 20 ppg.

I don’t see a reason why Drummond shouldn’t get this numbers on a lot less offensive talentet team. Give him 2 years from now and he will be top 5 in the league – without a doubt if he stays healthy.

Possibly the best rebounding big man in the east in the east within the next few seasons. Have patience with him, he’s still so young.

[jwostrumParticipant]

all of that can be taught by a good coach and a good veteran player. Drummond has already showed he wants to learn. do you really think he can not learn any of it? I think your gonna be in shock in a few years siggy. also everyone knew he was raw coming in, and it was his first year. your stat does not amount to much right now.

[Piston088Participant]

I think Drummond has made a ton of progress in the past year. Watching film from UConn, then the summer league, and finally the regular season reveals growth in a few areas: team defense and understanding of defensive concepts, positioning himself for rebounds (looked like an 8th grader in the summer league: no box out, no clue where to be), taking advantage of spacing on offense, and of course, finishing.

In regards to his offensive potential, I think it will take time but I do believe Drummond will put up 20 ppg for a season multiple time in his career. His form is pretty fundamentally sound for a big dude, has good fluidity but the trajectory gets a little flat on him sometimes. Also encouraging to me is a pair of very good hands. He makes one or two plays each game that would, on their own, appear lucky. However, when considering the frequency of these “wtf” moments, I think it’s fair to infer he’s got pretty decent coordination.

Yes, AD dunks all the time. It’s probably part of the reason why, when removing the minutes played qualification, his PER ranks in the top 20 in the entire league.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

He looks great out there. He will never be a post presence because he can’t shoot and never will be able to. If he had any touch from range, then he would be a better FT shooter by now. So no chance he averages over 20 points per game. Just forget that. But you don’t need to do that to be a beast at center. He won’t be Brook Lopez. But he can be as good a defensive presence as Mutombo.

I think he wasn’t trying in college. Or somehow the coaching staff got through to him this year. Because he rebounding and shot blocking has gone to another level.

He could lead the league in rebounding if he got the minutes (well at least come second to Reggie Evans, if Reggie gets minutes for an entire season next year like he has gotten them for the last two months, then no one will touch Reggie’s numbers). He could also be top three in blocks. He would shoot a crazy efficient percentage if they just look for dunks and layups from him.

FT% HAS to improve though. At this level, Hack-A-Shaq works as a winning strategy. So he has to get up to 45% minimum and ideally over 50%.

[jwostrumParticipant]

I really don’t think we should completely right off him developing a post game, he has only played one year in the nba and he is only 19. there is so much more he could learn. im not gonna throw out a stat line for the future, because we just don’t know. but I personally think he will develop into a really nice C in the future. only time will tell.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Nah, look at the FT%. Of course his post game will improve, but you need to be able to shoot the ball in order to have a complete array of moves. If at this point he can’t even hit his FTs more than 45%, what chance is there he will eventually be able to do a fadeaway out of the post? Or a hook shot from five feet out? How about hook shot with his off hand? To operate in the post you need moves and counter moves. But where is the evidence of touch that makes you think he will be able to do anything but power moves? Even Dwight Howard was never as bad at FT shooting ad Drummond. So while he could get better, I’d guess his ceiling for developing post moves is well below what Dwight got to. Though Dwight got pretty far.

But what people don’t get is that he is already “nice”. Rebounding and blocking shots in important from your center. Throw in that the guy grabs steals and you have a serious defensive presence. Drummond doesn’t have to develop. He will, but he is already a good NBA center. Only thing keeping him back is a coach that won’t play him. Same thing that kept back Kevin Love. Then he “developed” and improved when actually he was pretty much very good from day one. Same thing with Omer Asik. Now he is improved playing for the Rockets. No, not really. He is just getting 35 minutes per game and a few plays called for him. And so he now is top five in the league in rebounding. The dude didn’t get better, he got opportunity.

[Darth DivacParticipant]

But not the best center in the NBA. The best center in The NBA will be DeMarcus Cousins.

[Author]

Posts