Near the end of March, two-time all-star Andre Drummond was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, paving way for the big man to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have been impacted by the departure of bigs JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, who played vital roles in last season’s championship run. Since then, seasoned veteran Marc Gasol’s performance has unfortunately not lived up to expectations.
No Super-Nets for Drummond
This season, the Brooklyn Nets have assembled arguably the biggest super-team in NBA history. Veteran bigs Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge recently made their way to Brooklyn’s Big 3, hoping to pave their way to an easy championship. These veterans may be experienced, but they are declining and may not impact the Nets as much as Drummond can impact the Lakers.
Despite recent injury struggles, Drummond’s addition has rejuvenated hopes of a repeat for Laker Nation.
The four-time rebounding leader is sure to boost the team, but Drummond’s prowess goes far beyond the box score.
President of the Paint
Drummond is traditionally undersized for a center at 6’10, but this hasn’t stopped him from attaining the highest rebound percentage in NBA history. Andre has grabbed a ridiculous 24.6% of all missed shots during his 19,312 minutes of play.
In 25 games with the Cavs this season, Dre averaged an impressive 13.5 rebounds per game. Four of these come on the offensive end, placing him third in the league for offensive boards. The 280-pound beast’s defensive presence is certainly felt by opposing big men, ranking third in defensive rating among active players.
This season he ranks second, topped only by 7’1 DPOY candidate Rudy Gobert. The star big-man is also the fourth-best scoring center in the league, posting a cool 17.5/game. This season he has already had a career-defining game, in which he posted 33 points and 23 rebounds.
Moving Forward
The Lakers currently have the best rated defense in the NBA, and it is certain that with Drummond under the rim, this will only improve. Dre wore the purple and gold for the first time on April 1st, but his debut was cut short due to a minor toe injury. He since announced via Instagram that despite missing a toenail, he will make his return to the lineup Thursday.
Andre will look to ensure that the team continues to be successful in the absence of their star players. The squad eagerly anticipates the return of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and look to make another championship run when the playoffs begin.
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