Andre Drummond: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Dominant Centers

An Unauthorized Biography

Copyright © 2017 by Calvintir Books, LLC

All rights reserved. Neither this book nor any portion thereof may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission. Published in the United States of America.

Cover photo by Keith Allison is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / modified from original

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: Childhood and Early Life

Chapter 2: High School Career

Chapter 3: College Career

Chapter 4: NBA Career

Getting Drafted

Rookie Season

Andre Drummond, the Double-Double Machine

All-Star Season, Playoff Debut

Continued Growth

Chapter 5: Personal Life

Chapter 6: Impact, Legacy, and Future

Final Word/About the Author

References

Foreword

The latest generation of basketball has ushered in a renewed era of big men. From Kristaps Porzingis to Karl-Anthony Towns, a fresh emphasis on building around a big man has become a growing trend across franchises. For the Detroit Pistons, their starting center can be found in Andre Drummond. More of a classic big man than the aforementioned, Drummond dominates the paint and demands coverage from opposing defenses. Many rivals find that the only way to stop Drummond is by by fouling him and putting him on the free-throw line. But even then, his collective influence on basketball games remains in tact. It will be exciting to see how Andre Drummond’s career continues to develop as he grows into his role as a star center. Thank you for downloading Andre Drummond: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Dominant Centers. In this unauthorized biography, we will learn Andre Drummond’s incredible life story and impact on the game of basketball. Hope you enjoy and if you do, please do not forget to leave a review!

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Introduction

The traditional center has become a lost position in today’s era of the NBA. In the past, centers such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, David Robinson, and Shaquille O’Neal, among others, have lorded the paint to score inside points, rebound misses, and block shots. Championship teams almost always needed those type of centers to win titles.

But in today’s game, the center has become a thing of the past. While rebounding the ball and defending the paint are still within their job descriptions, centers have evolved into frontcourt players that specialize in stretching the floor, hitting outside shots, and even defending guards on switches. You would rarely see centers looming inside the paint waiting for passes at the post or drop passes whenever guards drove into the key. The faster pace and reliance on the three-pointer of today’s era have rendered the traditional center an endangered species.

Nevertheless, a few players in today’s game still play like the giants of old. They still take advantage of their size and strength at the post and inside the paint. They still rebound buckets at a dozen or more. And they still loom inside the key to block shots or intimidate smaller opponents. One such player goes by the name of Andre Drummond.

At 6’11” and sporting an enormous muscular frame, Andre Drummond is the prototypical traditional center. He has both the height and strength to punish smaller defenders in the paint as well as the athleticism and explosiveness to finish strong at the basket. In line with his physical attributes, he reminds the world of how great of a rebounder Moses Malone was back in the day. Drummond uses his massive frame to get inside position and box opposing players out to get rebounds in bunches. Ever since he became a starter in the league, Andre Drummond never averaged below 13 rebounds a game and has been a double-double machine for as long as he has been in the league.

While Andre Drummond’s specialty lies in his rebounding prowess and how he gets double-doubles on a regular basis, he is also a defensive anchor in the paint. Despite not getting a lot more blocks than what is expected for him, Drummond relies on his post defense and his ability to rotate to the weak side in the paint to intimidate any player looking to score at the basket.

With his inside presence and growing game, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Andre Drummond is the centerpiece and pillar of strength of a resurgent Detroit Pistons team that is looking to go back to the glory years when their physical defense and inside presence were most feared in the NBA. In line with that, a young Andre Drummond looks to follow in the footsteps of the Detroit Pistons legendary centers such as Bill Laimbeer and Ben Wallace.

Laimbeer was an inside physical presence for the Pistons back when they were the “Bad Boys” during the late 80’s and early 90’s. Meanwhile, Ben Wallace was the defensive anchor and rebounding monster that made the 2000’s version of the Pistons one of the better teams in the NBA. However, Drummond, currently at 23 years old, could potentially surpass the skills and accomplishments of those great Pistons centers. He has the rebounding and defensive abilities of Wallace and the scoring skills of Laimbeer. What is even scarier is that he is still improving.

As Andre Drummond continues to rise among the top centers in the NBA and could even possibly be the best traditional middleman in the league, the Detroit Pistons rise with him. No other player in Detroit has more potential and capacity to bring a team up from obscurity than Drummond does. And despite the league’s continuing evolution, Drummond continues to show that his traditional style of play still has a place in the NBA as seen from how he dominates both ends of the floor on a daily basis.

Chapter 1: Childhood and Early Life

Andre Jamal Drummond was born on August 10, 1993, in Mount Vernon, New York. At 12 pounds and six ounces, Andre Drummond was already a big baby when he was born. He was pre-determined to be as big as he is today. His mother was Christine Cameron. His father was never really around in his life to the point that Andre barely remembers him.

Andre and his family moved to Middletown, Connecticut. While Drummond was growing up in a city with a small population of about 47,000, everybody already knew that the child was going to be big, both literally and figuratively. When he was born, Andre Drummond’s uncle Phil Santavenere even made a declaration that the baby was going to play in the NBA one day.[1] He was always big, even as a child.

However, early expectations and prophecies about the gigantic young boy seemed like jokes when Andre Drummond was just a young boy. He was bad at basketball and was not even close to being called a prodigy as far as skills were concerned. The only positive thing going for him was that he was large. But even his size was not enough to make him look good on the hard floor.

His mother Christine Cameron remembered one of the funniest moments in the young Andre Drummond’s life as a basketball player. When Andre was just seven years old, she saw how clueless her son was on the basketball court. Drummond would jog to the opposite side of the court—the opponent’s half, while all his other teammates were running offense on the other end. Even Andre’s mother would say that Saturday basketball games featuring her young boy were laughing sessions for everyone.[i]

Santavenere, Drummond’s uncle, was witness to how even other people were making a laughing stock out of his nephew, who was having troubles navigating through the tough river of basketball at an early age. He would say that whenever Andre was out on the floor, other parents would laugh and complain at how uncoordinated the huge boy was. “He stinks,” was one of the phrases Santavenere clearly remembers about the other parents watching the children playing basketball. However, Phil Santavenere himself was not unaware of how bad Andre Drummond was at basketball during those early childhood years. He would say that his nephew sucked at the sport early on.[i]

Drummond himself would even remember how other parents would laugh at how he seemingly squandered away the size that had been gifted to him. “You should play another sport,” they said. But the young big boy did not disagree. Andre himself remembers how far off he was from the basketball star he is today. Back then, he was a bumbling big boy that always tripped on the court whenever he ran. He could not even hit the rim to save his life whenever he shot the ball.[2]

Despite all that, Phil Santavenere believed that Andre Drummond had potential. But he never made it easy for his nephew to get to where he is today. Santavenere trained the young boy hard, believing that Drummond should earn whatever he wanted to have in life. When guarding the young big boy, he never gave an inch. And during AAU games, Santavenere would not even let his nephew play because he believed that Andre should earn it.[i]

Nevertheless, he believed thoroughly in his young protégé’s abilities. Even when Andre Drummond cried on the way home after getting cut from his middle school team, Santavenere felt that more hard work would turn the young boy into a star. Soon enough, Drummond started growing. He even outgrew his uncle at an early stage. That was when Santavenere’s early prophecies started coming true. Despite that, he still never let his nephew get his baskets easy when practicing together. “One day you’re going to be so tall that every shot you take is going to be a dunk,” were the words he said to Andre Drummond.

Believing in his gifts early on, Andre Drummond would even try to emulate smaller players to fit in. He would hunch his back to look smaller than his peers and would even try to push the ball up despite having handles that needed decades of work. But he was playing outside of his identity. Santavenere always taught him to play with his back to the basket knowing how big he was going to grow up to be. But back then, the young boy just wanted to try other facets of the game. In time, he grew to have reliable hands though he would still turn the ball over a lot of times whenever he tried to handle it.[i]

Despite the early shortcomings for Andre Drummond, he would begin to show promise, especially because of his size. It was around the time when Drummond was 14 years old when he began to tower over other kids. He was bigger and longer than most of the basketball players of his age. JR Hargreaves, who was operating an AAU team back then, saw promise in Drummond, much like Santavenere did. Andre and his cousin would join Hargreaves’ team, the Connecticut Basketball Club. From then on, he would begin a steady growth that would take him all the way to the NBA.[i]

Chapter 2: High School Career

Andre Drummond would enroll at Capital Preparatory Magnet School for high school. As a freshman, it had already become apparent that Drummond was a star in the making. He was already 6’7” during those years. The young boy was already bigger than most of his peers back then, and he was even bigger than his father ever was. But there was a problem.

Levy Gillespie, who was coaching Capital Prep’s high school team, did not know whether Andre Drummond had already peaked or still had room to grow as far as size was concerned. He could have already seen his growth spurt and might not grow as big or tall as some people thought he would be. This placed the coach in a dilemma. Gillespie did not know whether he would try and develop Drummond’s outside game or if he would let the big young teen focus on his post prowess.[i]

For much of Andre Drummond’s freshman year, Levy Gillespie would try to help him develop an inside-outside game. Similar to how Drummond used to try to bring the ball down during pickup games when he was younger, he was allowed by his coach to handle the ball and let him take his man off the dribble. The reason for such, aside from his doubts on Drummond’s room for physical growth, was because the young teen would often get a beating from the older and bigger players inside the paint back then. Despite his size, he was only a freshman and lacked the physical mentality to compete with veteran prep players. Nevertheless, Gillespie would still let him dominate the paint whenever he saw a smaller player guarding his prized freshman.[i]

Drummond would show promise as a freshman despite playing different roles. Andre was listed as a guard-forward but played bigger than he was. He was someone that had hustle and heart on both ends of the floor. But the point that stood out most was that he was a willing defender both in and out of the paint. As a freshman, Drummond was already a menacing force. He would average 12.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 blocks that year.

Andre Drummond was even better when he got to his sophomore season. That was the year when he began to rise as one of the best centers in the preparatory ranks. But make no mistakes, Drummond was still showing remnants of the bumbling kid that could not even play basketball a few years back. However, he more than made up for it by harnessing his supreme athletic prowess.

As he grew, Andre Drummond was not only big. He had also become more athletic than he ever was at that point. He could run the floor and finish during open court opportunities. He outran and out-jumped his competition. Whenever Drummond dunked, he would hit his head on the backboard. He did not even need to box people out when going for rebounds. And when blocking shots, Andre could use either or both of his hands.[i] That was how athletic he had grown to become on top of his already mature 6’10” frame.

College assistants were even already eyeing Andre Drummond, the sophomore player. He was so much faster and bigger than the competition that it was almost unfair.ii He looked like an NBA player playing with middle school kids. There was even a game where he recorded an unprecedented quadruple-double. He finished that night with 27 points, 16 rebounds, 14 blocks, and ten steals. At the end of that season, he had averaged 20.2 points, 16.6 rebounds, 7.2 blocks, and 4.5 steals.

But Andre Drummond’s years in Capital Prep were numbered. After his sophomore year, he would make the transfer to St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut. St. Thomas More was known for developing prep talents. Over the past few years, they had developed two players that would make the NBA ranks. Drummond was interested in how he could follow the footsteps of the likes of Quincy Douby and Devin Ebanks. With St. Thomas More, Andre Drummond had more exposure compared to when he was with Capital Prep.[i]

Jere Quinn of St. Thomas More would instill into Andre Drummond the value of hard work and the desire to love the game. He told Drummond that the young teen had all the physical tools, much like NBA players Eddie Curry and Michael Olowokandi. However, he also told Andre that what would set him apart from those centers was the desire to get better and play the game for the love of it.ii

Ever since joining St. Thomas More, Andre Drummond began to blend himself more with the culture and program. He was not merely a basketball star, but also an assistant coach, tutor, and adviser. He was not the type of basketball player that was too full of himself, but was a soft-spoken young teen that knew what hard work and humility were.

Despite not having the same gaudy numbers he had with Capital Prep, Andre Drummond fit the system very well at St. Thomas More. He was consistently rated the top high school player in the country ever since he first left Capital Prep two years back. All his size, talent, hard work, and potential paid off when he helped lead St. Thomas More to a national championship in 2011. He averaged around 15 points and 11 rebounds all year long during his senior year. He was also ranked the top preparatory recruit.

After his senior year, Andre Drummond was the talk of the country. The top college programs were all interested in seeking out the talented big man. However, Drummond and his family were reserved people. They valued their privacy and shielded Andre as much as possible from the public eye. This led them to consistently change phone numbers to avoid getting pestered with calls from recruiters.[i] But the plan was that he would go to college to hone his talents and reach his NBA dreams.

At first, Andre Drummond even had other plans. He wanted to attend a post-graduate year at Wilbraham and Monson Academy for the next year instead of going to college to play against top young talents. He had relatives and friends, including future NBA player Kris Dunn, who planned to attend the academy. Drummond always loved being around family and close friends. He wanted to go to Wilbraham and Monson to play against subpar competition for at least a year. After a year, he would then be eligible to try the professional ranks.[i]

But Cameron and Santavenere were against the idea. Cameron did not want her son to go to one high school so that he could graduate and join another high school. Though he could still play basketball and improve his draft stock during his post-graduate studies, the competition was not up to par compared to college basketball. This was what Santavenere had been telling him since he was a young boy. Santavenere had always wanted Drummond to earn what he wanted in life. Joining another prep school was not in his best interests if he wanted to reach the next level. College basketball, on the other hand, would help him prove that he was the real deal.

With that, Andre Drummond made the announcement on social media. He would say that he was joining the University of Connecticut to be closer to home. His family and relatives wanted to see him play. Drummond would also say that he wanted to stay in high school. But such a decision would just stagnate and plateau his talents. Playing against the top talents in college was what would help him get to the next level of basketball.[i]

Chapter 3: College Career

Andre Drummond was joining the UConn Huskies as a grown man of a teenager. At 18 years of age, he was standing at least 6’10” and weighed more than 250 pounds of solid mass. The Huskies were excited about how Drummond’s size and athleticism could help them in a tough campaign. After all, UConn had just won the National Championship the season before Andre committed to them. The large center was only going to make the team better.

The moment Drummond set foot on the Huskies’ court for practice, he did not disappoint his teammates. As UConn guard Jeremy Lamb would say, almost nobody knew who Andre Drummond was outside of the coaching staff. But he marveled. He had a lot of size but was so athletic that he could pull off any dunk he wanted to do, much like how smaller players could.[i]

Basketball was not the only way that Andre Drummond impressed the coaching staff at UConn. Unlike other players, he was not obsessed with basketball. Drummond, save for his apparent NBA pedigree, seemed like an average college student that studied well in case basketball was of the picture and was actually diligent in all the other activities he put his heart into. That was what separated him from all the other young prospects. Despite not being obsessed with basketball, Andre Drummond would still give all of his focus and mind once he knew what he wanted to do. When trying to hone his basketball skills, he put all his heart into it.[i]

Andre Drummond’s great personality was also reflected in how he handled himself at UConn. Because of his indecisiveness back when he was still a senior in high school, it took time for him to enroll with UConn. He had only joined the university three days before classes started. This placed the Huskies in a tough situation. UConn was only allowed nine scholarship grants. With Drummond’s late entry, they had already committed all nine of those grants.[i]

Knowing that the Huskies needed the services of Andre Drummond, one of the young teen’s friends, Michael Bradley, gave away his scholarship to his big teammate.[3] They had known each other for years, and such a bond led Bradley to think of the needs of his new teammate. But Andre allowed the generous young man to retain the scholarship. Instead, despite financial restraints on his part, he took student loans out since he respected how Michael Bradley worked his tail off for that scholarship.[i]

Despite the dominance he displayed in high school, it took a while for Andre Drummond to adjust with his teammates as well as the tougher competition. He would even start the early part of the season wearing a protective mask because of a broken nose he suffered during practice. The mask clouded his vision as well as bothering him. Moreover, the Huskies were a guard-dominant team that had the offense running through future NBA players Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb. Because of that, Drummond rarely got the ball down at the low post where he was the most comfortable.

Despite not being the centerpiece of the offense, Andre Drummond more than made up for it with his presence on the defensive end of the floor. He was a shot blocking genius that affected every inside attack that the opposing team would muster up. He also rebounded the ball at a high rate considering he was leading the team in that category despite being a freshman. And over time, head coach Jim Calhoun saw how willing of a player Drummond was when it came to waiting for his offense and being patient with his shots. Andre never demanded possessions but resorted to timely plays that were suited for a young teen of his size and athleticism.

After his freshman year with the UConn Huskies, Andre Drummond was a big contributor on both ends of the floor. He averaged 10 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks. He led the team in rebounds and blocks. Andre Drummond also shot an impressive 54% from the field in his 28.4 minutes of action. However, the Huskies could not repeat as national champions after falling in the NCAA Tournament in the first round. Drummond would only score two points in that game. What was worse was that he fouled out.

But despite a less-than-stellar freshman year and mediocre success, Andre Drummond would declare himself for the 2012 NBA Draft just a month after falling to Iowa State in March Madness. The decision came about after realizing it was the best move for him and his family. After all, he had always wanted to make the NBA as early as he could before his stock dropped.

Chapter 4: NBA Career

Getting Drafted

The 2012 NBA Draft was one that had a lot of potentially talented players. All the attention went the way of Anthony Davis, who was a two-way athletic monster that had a lot of potential and room left for growth. On top of his gaudy all-around stats, the power forward from Kentucky led his team to a National title. Similarly situated prospects included Davis’ teammate and defensive specialist Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, shooting specialist Bradley Beal, all-around athletic forward Harrison Barnes, and college veteran scoring point guard Damian Lillard. As far as the potential was concerned, it was a deep NBA Draft that had no room for raw talent. This begged the question of where Andre Drummond, who was slated as a top overall pick back in high school, would end up.

But Andre Drummond was an intriguing prospect at the center position in a league when the traditional big man had become a rare commodity. Physically, the young 18-year-old fit the bill of what it was to become a true center. He stood above 6’10” and weighed nearly 280 pounds of mass. He was not overweight, but was a young man of solid muscle. He was so lean that he only had about 7.5% body fat in him.[i] With a wingspan of 7’6”, Andre Drummond also had a lot of length that helped him bother shots, collar rebounds, and finish strong at the basket.[4]

On top of his massive frame at a height of about 6’11”, Andre Drummond had a lot of athleticism and explosiveness in a body full of muscle. He was measured to have a maximum vertical leap of almost 34 inches. While it was not the highest jump by any standards, what must be taken into consideration was his size and position. No other big man save for Davis was as athletic. He was so mobile and strong at the center position that nobody could even match him up. Even the college ranks had seen a shortage of traditional centers as no other player of Drummond’s position was even close to his physical gifts.

Offensively, Andre Drummond relied mainly on his physical talents to get points up on the board across his name. He was often compared to Amar’e Stoudemire or DeAndre Jordan at the very least because of his physical attributes. He was even bigger and stronger than Stoudemire, but could move as well and jump as high as Jordan. This allowed Drummond to bully smaller defenders in the paint and finish strong with explosive dunks or power moves at the rim. He is also an excellent runner despite his gigantic size. Drummond runs the floor well, especially during open court opportunities. This also allowed him to be an option during fast break opportunities.[5]

Andre Drummond was also a timely post threat in the paint. He had a quick spin whenever he had his back to the basket thanks to his mobile legs. And whenever he could make the first move during post opportunities, the next step was easy for him as his explosiveness and size allowed him to finish strong at the basket. Or, if the post was not an option for him, he was an easy target for guards during inside incursions or whenever they threw lob passes. Just find him inside or throw the ball near the rim and Drummond would find it and put it in the basket.[v]

While Andre Drummond had the potential to be a dominant inside presence, the other aspects of the game were where he excelled more. Rebounding-wise, he has enough size, heft, and strength to box opposing big men out of position. He was one of the best players at crashing the offensive boards because of his physical talents and natural nose for the missed shots.

Defensively, Andre Drummond had a natural feel and timing whenever he wanted to block shots. He was not a reckless shot blocker that loved to leave his feet at the very sight of a player trying to score the basket. Instead, he had the excellent timing and athleticism that helped him defend the paint at a high level. And with his size and strength, he is not one so easily pushed off whenever he defends an opposing big man.

Andre Drummond also was not a liability whenever he defends the perimeter. He was always mobile for his size and could even do a good job at keeping up with perimeter players. He also showed good defensive mechanics by bending his knees well.iv On top of that, he also had quick hands that allowed him to steal possessions in and out of the paint. With that said, Drummond was a ready product as far as defending the paint and banging with other centers were concerned.

But despite his overwhelming physical gifts and knack for blocking shots and grabbing offensive rebounds, Andre Drummond, at that point, remained a project at best. He had the physical tools and potential to become one of the most dominant big men in the NBA. However, he was still raw as a teenager when he tried his hand at the NBA Draft.

As far as offense was concerned, Andre Drummond was a work in progress at the low post. He had no go-to move down at the low block. His footwork was still off, and his mechanics at looking for a deep post position were still non-existent. During post-up situations, he would only convert around 32% of his attempts because of his lack of skill at that facet of the game.iv He did not even show the hook shot that most big men would develop first. Instead, he would shoot awkward shots with both hands.[v] That was one of the main reasons why he was not one of the offensive options for the UConn Huskies.

While his skills at the offensive end of the floor were still raw, Andre Drummond also lacked the right aggressiveness to score the basket. With his mobility and athleticism, he was an easy target for drop passes and lobs. However, his body language would often show that he was not willing to get the ball even though he was wide open. One of the reasons for such were his struggles at the free throw line.iv Andre Drummond, who attempted barely three free throws a game, could not even shoot 30% of his charity stripe shots.

Though he showed good mechanics at grabbing rebounds because of his size and athleticism, Andre Drummond was still also an unfinished work on the rebounding end. He was not always the best at boxing out despite having the gifts that allowed him to do so.[6] He almost always relied on his athleticism when grabbing rebounds. Drummond also was not as good on the defensive end of grabbing rebounds as he is on the offensive end because he was not always so active and blocking out other big men when playing defense.

But the biggest question about Andre Drummond was not his skills, but his mentality. He did not show enough motor or desire to become great back in his college days. He did not have the killer instinct or the competitive fire in him to dominate the basket. He was so inconsistent that he still needed a lot of work. It was even a questionable decision on why he opted to go directly to the NBA instead of polishing himself in the college ranks for at least one more year.[i]

With that said, Andre Drummond, who was initially pegged as the next coming of an Amar’e Stoudemire, was a project at best. He was similar to Andrew Bynum.vi Bynum came into the league with all the size and youth in the world, but was mostly unpolished and untested. It took time for him to become an All-Star. That was what was initially seen from Drummond. He could not contribute like a star right away and instead had to take the time to develop himself with the proper teachings of a big man coach.

But despite that, Andre Drummond was also described as the scariest draft prospect of 2012 in the sense that he had all the talent and the tools needed to become one of the great big men in the league. But it was a double-edged sword. It was also scary on the part of the drafting team because Drummond could also end up an unrealized potential similar to the likes of Kwame Brown or Michael Olowokandi. It was either he was going to become a star, or was going to be an unrealized bust in the league. There was no in-between. That was how scary he was as an option for any team wanting to draft him.

Draft day came, and as expected, Anthony Davis was selected as the top overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets. With the shortage of talented big men in the draft, no center was drafted in the top five except if one would classify college veteran big man Thomas Robinson as a center. Robinson, though not as gifted as Drummond, was a more polished big man.

With guards and small forwards highlighting the top ten of that year’s draft, it would take until the ninth pick for a team to try their hand at gambling at Andre Drummond. Oddly enough, it was the Detroit Pistons, who squandered away their chances at a superstar back in 2003 when they drafted Darko Milicic with the second overall pick.

Darko Milicic was every bit of a project that Andre Drummond was. Milicic had size, strength, and talent. He also had the potential to become great. However, he could not develop himself to become a serviceable center in the NBA. His career would die down as a role player journeying with teams that were desperate for size in the middle. Was Andre Drummond going down the same path?

Joe Dumars, a legend with Detroit, had other plans. He had visions of pairing up Andre Drummond with established pivot man Greg Monroe at the Detroit Pistons’ frontcourt to give the team an imposing pair of big and strong inside presences.[i] Size and toughness was always what made the Detroit Pistons great during their championship runs. During the 80’s, they had Bill Laimbeer pairing up with tough guys like Rick Mahorn, John Salley, or Dennis Rodman. And in 2004, they had Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace manning the middle. He thought that Drummond and Monroe could give the Pistons the same kind of tough frontcourt that history has shown to do wonders in Detroit.

Before the draft, Drummond did not even think he had a chance of falling to the ninth pick. That was why he almost declined a workout with the Pistons since he believed he was going to be picked by one of the top eight teams. However, he told Detroit that he would still be happy to don a Pistons uniform if he would fall to the ninth spot. Dumars had already made up his mind to grab Andre Drummond if he was still available.[i] As fate would have it, none of the first eight teams wanted Drummond. He fell right into the Pistons’ lap.

The entirety of the draft before he got picked, Andre Drummond was nervous and holding his mother’s hand the whole night. He thought he was going to get picked a lot sooner because several of the top eight teams in the draft liked his workout. However, none were willing to pick a player considered as a long-term project. But when the Pistons called his name, he nearly broke down because of happiness.[i] He was finally an NBA player.

Rookie Season

Everybody in the Pistons organization knew what they were getting from Andre Drummond the moment they decided to draft him. They knew he was going to be a project. He was raw and unrealized. While he already had the body that rivaled that of the many great NBA centers of the past, his skills and talents were yet to catch up. As such, Detroit made the decision to integrate him into the organization and rotation slowly and methodically.

Joe Dumars, despite knowing Andre Drummond’s skill limitation, still expected his young 18-year-old center to be a force whenever they needed him. He wanted Drummond to harness all of his athleticism by being a force inside the paint regarding blocking shots, rebounding misses, and finishing shots he could take.[i] Nevertheless, there was no pressure on the part of Drummond.

The Detroit Pistons were then a rebuilding team. Nobody expected them to suddenly change overnight by drafting one of the best athletes of the 2012 Draft Class. Unlike nine years ago during the Darko Milicic fiasco, the Pistons wanted the European center to develop right away as Detroit was then a championship-contending team. But this time, they would allow Andre to develop at his own pace considering that the Pistons had no need for him to be able to grow exponentially right away. Dumars would say that the worse that the organization could do to Drummond was to put a lot of expectations on his broad shoulders right away. They wanted him to bide his time until he was ready to carry the load of a struggling franchise.[i]

As expected, Andre Drummond’s first NBA game started less than stellar. In 13 minutes of action against the Houston Rockets on October 31, 2012, he would have 2 points, two rebounds, two steals, and one block. The Pistons would lose that game. Though his minutes would increase in the next few games, the results were the same. He would end up with role player performances in losses for the Pistons. The best he could muster up in his first five games was when he had 5 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in his second game, which was a loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The reason as to why Drummond was playing very limited minutes was that he was the backup big man behind the frontline of the more established post presence Greg Monroe and veteran power forward Jason Maxiell. After all, he and everyone else in the organization knew that he was a project that the Pistons hoped would bloom into a great player. But as of that time, he still needed a lot of work.

Nevertheless, Andre Drummond would somehow show early promise of what would soon become one of the best centers in the league. In his sixth game of the season, he would have 22 big points on 8 out of 10 shooting from the floor and 6 out of 9 from the charity stripe. On top of that, he collected five offensive rebounds out of the total of 8 that he collected, thus showing that he was a force to be reckoned with on the offensive glass. He only played 20 minutes in that loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After that breakout performance, it would take a few more games for Andre Drummond to show up as the Pistons would only win one of their first ten games. On November 13 in Drummond’s 13th game, he would show that thirteen was his lucky number. He had 13 points and 13 rebounds, which included eight on the offensive end. That first double-double outing for him helped the Pistons with their third game of the season after they defeated the Toronto Raptors. In the next match, which was a loss to the New York Knicks, Drummond would go for double-digit rebounds again by collaring 11 boards.

On December 5, Drummond would go for his second career double-double. In what was his highest minutes logged yet, he put in more than 30 minutes in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. He made 6 of his eight shots to score 15 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking two shots in the process. Andre Drummond was trusting the process and was slowly showing the promise of a future star.

It would take until late December for Andre Drummond to get consistent minutes off the bench while also contributing well not just in timely fashion but in stretches as well. In that juncture, he would have four consecutive games of grabbing double-digit rebounds. It started when he had 11 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in only 21 minutes in a blowout win over the Washington Wizards on December 21. After that, he grabbed 11 boards against the Wizards in another win before going to Atlanta to put up 16 points and 12 rebounds, which included seven boards on the offensive end, in a loss. He finished the run with 10 points and ten rebounds in a win on December 28 against a highly-favored Miami Heat team.

On January 17, Andre Drummond would get his first double-double of the New Year when he finished a loss to the New York Knicks with 11 points and ten rebounds. He also had two steals and two blocks in that game. Three days later, he would go for 16 points on 5 out of 6 shooting in a win over the Boston Celtics. Then, in the next game, which was on January 22, he went for another double-double by posting 11 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in a win over the Orlando Magic.

Near the end of the month, Andre Drummond would have the best game of his early career. In that loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on January 29, Drummond had 18 points and a then career-best 18 rebounds, which included nine offensive ones. He also shot 60% from the field, proving that he could finish the play whenever his name was called. After that performance, he would grab 14 rebounds in a loss to the Indiana Pacers a night later.

Bad luck would come around Drummond’s way early in February. In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 3, he performed admirably by grabbing 11 rebounds against a massive frontcourt. However, he would strain his back when he attempted to block (which he had four of) a shot. After that, he was severely limited in his games against the Knicks and the Nets over the course of the next two outings.[7]

The strained back got the Detroit Pistons worried about the future of their prized rookie. Despite ruling him as day-to-day with a stress fracture in his back, the organization would shut him down for a few weeks so as not to aggravate any injury or pain he was going through. The then-19-year-old center would miss a total of 22 consecutive games while the Pistons only struggled even more without him. During Drummond’s absence, Detroit went 6-16.

Andre Drummond would return on March 29 showing no signs of rust. This time, he was a starter despite missing 22 straight games. It was his first time to start a game. He immediately went to work by putting up 17 points on 8 out of 10 shooting in only 19 minutes in that loss to the Toronto Raptors. He followed that up by grabbing 14 rebounds in a narrow loss to the Chicago Bulls the next game. Barely a week later, he would grab ten rebounds in two consecutive games. The future was only becoming brighter for the young stud.

After those two incredible rebounding performances, Andre Drummond would go for a new career high in points. On April 10 in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andre Drummond made 10 of his 11 attempts from the field to score 29 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his ninth career double-double. He followed that up with 15 points and nine rebounds in a win against Charlotte.

At the end of the season, Andre Drummond averaged 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks in only 21 minutes of action every game. Though his numbers were not gaudy, Drummond showed that he was better than five other rookies drafted before him and was fourth in the Rookie of the Year award voting. Drummond finished behind the likes of Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, and Bradley Beal. He would be named a member of the All-Rookie Second Team as well. However, his season ended early as the Detroit Pistons failed to make the playoffs with their mediocre 29-53 record.

Andre Drummond, the Double-Double Machine

For the upcoming 2013-14 season, the Detroit Pistons decided to have their original plan come to fruition. Andre Drummond was placed as the starting center of a massive frontline composed of him, Greg Monroe as the power forward, and Josh Smith as the small forward. They were intent on exposing Drummond right away as a go-to guy and as a key player after the young center showed promise during his rookie season.

In the season debut of the Detroit Pistons, Andre Drummond did not disappoint. The big man would make 6 of his seven field goal attempts to score a total of 12 points on top of the eight rebounds he collected that night. He would help his team get a win by playing only 26 limited minutes due to foul trouble. And though the Pistons would lose in their next game, Andre Drummond immediately showed his quality as a rebounder and finisher by going for 12 points and 16 rebounds, which included eight on the offensive end. He was also great on the defensive end by collecting three steals and two blocks. And in his third game of the season in a win against the Boston Celtics, Andre Drummond’s motor and finishing ability helped him get 15 points and 12 rebounds against an undersized opposing frontline.

On November 11, Andre Drummond would start a then-personal best seven consecutive double-double streak. It would start in Portland where he finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds in a loss. After that, he would go for 16 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a loss to the Warriors. And on November 15, Andre Drummond would finish a win against the Sacramento Kings and equally dominant young center DeMarcus Cousins with 15 points and 18 rebounds. He would wrap the streak up with 15 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on November 22. In a win against the Brooklyn Nets two days later, he was one point short of another double-double.

Shortly after the double-double streak was cut, Andre Drummond would mount another seven-game double-digit rebounding campaign. During that streak, he had one of the best games he would ever have at that point in his career. Drummond helped the Pistons win against the Philadelphia 76ers by going for new career highs in points and rebounds. In only 33 minutes of play, he would make 12 of his 15 field goal attempts to score 31 big points. Meanwhile, he was able to collar 19 rebounds on top of the six steals and two blocks that he had.

Three days later on December 4, Andre Drummond would have another stellar double-double outing just a game after grabbing 18 boards. He would finish that win against the Milwaukee Bucks with 24 points, 19 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. He would also help the Pistons win four straight games during that stretch. Drummond, in the tail end of his double-digit rebounding streak, would have 19 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to the Miami Heat.

Andre Drummond continued to impress by piling up great rebounding numbers on top of his improving offensive game. He would have his third game of scoring at least 20 points in a double-double effort on December 13 when he put up 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a win against the Brooklyn Nets. Five days later, he would then help the Pistons beat the Boston Celtics by going for 14 points and 16 rebounds. After that game, in a loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, Andre Drummond would grab ten offensive rebounds out of the 15 total boards that he had. He also added 14 points and five blocks in that game.

Despite the tremendous growth in Andre Drummond’s game and confidence, the Detroit Pistons were still a fodder team after losing games in streaks and bunches. After all, they were still a young and rebuilding group of players that were banking on the growth and improvements of their two bruising big men on the forward spot. But even so, Drummond and his frontcourt partner Monroe were still learning how to gel together and play at their best when they were on the floor at the same time.

But even with his youth and relative inexperience, Andre Drummond already knew how to fully utilize his size, strength, and athleticism, especially on the glass. Opening the year 2014, he would go for nine straight games of grabbing at least 11 rebounds. It started when he had 16 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to the Wizards on January 5. During that streak, Andre Drummond was a beast on the rebounding end, but his offense was severely limited as the team’s inside attack revolved around Greg Monroe.

Even though at that point, Drummond was limited to finishing baskets he could make, he did have a 20-20 double-double game during that stretch. It happened on January 24, 2014, when he went up against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in a loss. Despite getting drafted several spots below Davis a year and a half before, Andre Drummond outplayed the top overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft in that game. He made over 50% of his field goal attempts while grabbing ten offensive rebounds on his way to a stat line of 21 points, 20 rebounds, and two blocks. Meanwhile, Davis finished that game with 14 points and eight rebounds.

A little over a week later in his first game of February, Andre Drummond would go for his fifth 20-10 double-double game when he led the win against the Philadelphia 76ers with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. He made 10 of his 11 field goal attempts in that game. But what was more impressive was how short of a time he needed to get to those numbers. Drummond would only play a total of 23 minutes in that win.

It would not take time for Andre Drummond to top his career best at rebounding for a third time in one single season. On February 7, he dominated the Brooklyn frontline to go for 22 big rebounds, which included eight on the offensive end. He also had 16 points in another career game for Andre Drummond. A night later, it seemed as if he never got tired as he went for 18 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Denver Nuggets.

All-Star Weekend happened and Andre Drummond, though still developing to become a future star, would join the Rising Stars Challenge as a member of Team Grant Hill. During that event, nobody was anywhere near Andre Drummond’s level of hunger in grabbing rebounds. He was all over the floor after collaring board after board. None of the players were willing to put a body on him. In the end, he would finish with 14 offensive rebounds to add to a total of 25 rebounds. Drummond also finished with 30 points to be named the Rising Stars MVP.

It would seem that Andre Drummond was still hung over from his rebounding madness during the All-Star Weekend as he would go for 11 offensive boards in his first game back from the midseason break. He totaled 22 rebounds on top of the 15 points that he had in that loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Three days later on February 21, he would go for another 20-10 game by scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

On March 3, Andre Drummond would break his career high in rebounds for the fourth time that season. In that win against the New York Knicks, he would control the boards and the entire paint the whole game. Drummond would end up with 17 points, 26 rebounds, and three blocks in one of his best games that season. That would be the fourth time that season he broke the 20-rebound mark.

Barely a week later against the Celtics in a loss, Andre Drummond would have his fifth game of rebounding at least 20 misses. He also barely missed a 20-20 game when he finished the night with 18 points and 22 rebounds. He had ten boards on the offensive end. A few weeks later, he was again short of what would have been another 20-20 game. Against the Brooklyn Nets, Drummond had 23 points and 18 rebounds.

But, a night later on April 5, he would reach the 20-rebound mark for a sixth time that season. Andre Drummond would collect a total of 20 rebounds in that win over the Boston Celtics, who he had been dominating all season long. Scoring 19 points, Drummond barely missed another 20-20 game. He followed that performance up with 19 points and 17 rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Hawks in his next game. And near the end of the season on April 11, Drummond would go for one of his most dominating performances by finishing a loss to the Chicago Bulls with 26 points and 26 rebounds. Aside from tying his career high in rebounds that night, he also grabbed a career-best 12 offensive boards.

At the end of the season, Drummond averaged 13.5 points and 13.2 rebounds to nearly double his output in both categories since his rookie season. He would also shoot a career best 62.3% from the floor. It was also becoming ever clearer that the young 20-year old center was on his way to stardom. Andre Drummond was second only to Kevin Love regarding double-doubles. Had he been a better scorer, he could have led the league in that category. He was also second in rebounds behind DeAndre Jordan, who collected 13.6 boards a night. However, nobody was even near his ability to grab offensive rebounds.

At 5.4 offensive rebounds per game, Andre Drummond was a beast on that side of the game like he was always advertised to be. At four offensive rebounds per game, Jordan was a far second to him. Drummond was even the best rebounder in the league minute per minute. Per 48 minutes, he had a rebounding rate of 19.6 to lead the league. Had he played more than the 32.3 minutes he was playing, he could have easily led the league in rebounds.

Entering the 2014-15 season, not much changed for the Detroit Pistons in what was considered a dark era for a franchise that was still banking on what their young talent could produce for them in the future. At 21 years old, Andre Drummond remained to be the biggest asset of a rebuilding franchise that was also trying to see what it could get with the likes of Greg Monroe, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Brandon Jennings, among others.

Things were more or less the same for the team, and the same could be said of Andre Drummond. The double-double machine would show that his tear during his second year in the league was not a fluke as he was just as good at piling up double-digit points and rebounds early on in the season. He would have his first double-double in his second game when he had 11 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then, in his sixth game, he would go for 18 rebounds along with 11 points in a loss to the Utah Jazz.

As early as the 13th game of the season, Andre Drummond had already piled up five double-doubles. He also only missed the double-digit mark for rebounds three times in that juncture. The problem was that Drummond’s offense was nowhere to be found that time. The third-year big man was not an offensive force at that point of the season considering that the Pistons were still finding their identity on the offensive end and that Greg Monroe was the primary option in the paint.

It would take until November for Andre Drummond to crack the 20-point mark that season. It was when he made 11 of his 15 shots to score 23 points alongside the ten rebounds he grabbed in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Three days later, he would top that performance up in a loss to the same Bucks. He would have 26 points, which were scored on 12 out of 19 shooting, and 20 rebounds for his 20-20 game that season.

But Drummond would face a short two-game skid after that 20-20 game. Nevertheless, he would bounce back big by going for 27 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and five blocks in a loss to the Boston Celtics on December 3. A little more than a week later, he would go for another 20-10 double-double game by going for 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns. This time, it came at a rare win for a Detroit Pistons team that badly needed to put up victories. They had only won 4 out of the 23 games they had played at that point.

Andre Drummond would then culminate a five-game double-double streak on December 17 when he narrowly missed a 20-20 game against the Dallas Mavericks. He would have 19 points, 24 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. Four days later in a game against the Brooklyn Nets, he would have a similar output when he grabbed 13 offensive rebounds for a 20-board total along with the 18 points he scored in that loss. In a rarity of some sorts, he would only have six rebounds when he scored 20 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers on December 26. Then, in the final game of 2014, Andre Drummond would have 17 points, 22 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks in a win over the Orlando Magic to give the Detroit Pistons three consecutive victories to end the year.

Andre Drummond would also have a good start to the New Year in a game wherein his focus on playing his role was highlighted. In that game against the New York Knicks, Drummond would only attempt five shots to score 7 points all the while he was grabbing rebounds left and right to get a total of 20 boards that included 18 on the defensive end. After that win, he helped the Pistons win a fifth straight game with 15 points and 14 rebounds. He then made 8 of his ten field goals to score 20 points alongside the 17 rebounds he had in a win against the Spurs. Finally, the Pistons would win a seventh consecutive game with their big man in the middle grabbing 19 rebounds.

On January 16, Drummond would help the Pistons win their seventh game of January with his 16 points and 16 rebounds. He had a total of 10 offensive rebounds in that match. Five days later, he would then go for 26 points, 17 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a win over the Orlando Magic. He made 10 of his 14 field goals in that game. However, despite that hot start to January, the Detroit Pistons would end up losing four straight games near the end of the month. On January 31, Drummond would have 11 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Houston Rockets.

At the start of February, Andre Drummond would have four consecutive double-double performances. The best of that bunch was when he had 18 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. It would take until after the All-Star break for Andre Drummond to put up another one of his monstrous performances. On February 20, he would go for 18 points and 20 rebounds, which included nine offensive ones, in a win against the Chicago Bulls and Pau Gasol, who was narrowly leading him in double-doubles that season. After that, he would have 18 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Washington Wizards. His best game in the near end of February was when he had 21 points and 15 rebounds against the Knicks.

Andre Drummond would open March with 13 points, 18 rebounds, and six blocks in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Two days later on March 6, he would go for 8 points and 21 rebounds in a loss to the Houston Rockets. Drummond had 12 offensive rebounds that night. Four days after that, he would tie the 21-rebound mark by grabbing the same number of boards in a loss to the LA Lakers. He also had 14 rebounds in that game. But, on March 11, he would complete back-to-back 20-rebound games when he collected a career-best 15 offensive rebounds to have a total of 25 boards along with the 22 points he scored in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.

It was on March 17 when Andre Drummond started to show promise as a go-to guy inside the paint as Greg Monroe began to miss consecutive games because of injury. Drummond would have 16 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks in that win against a physical Memphis Grizzlies frontline. Then, five days later, he would go for 18 points, 22 rebounds, and five blocks in a win over the Boston Celtics. After that, he would have 21 points and 18 rebounds against the Raptors in another win. He wrapped up a four-game winning stretch with 16 points and nine boards against the Magic.

On March 29 when Monroe was still out, Drummond would go for a season high of 32 points on 14 out of 17 shooting in a win over the Miami Heat. He also added 14 rebounds that game. Then, at the end of March, he would go for 22 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Atlanta Hawks. The rise of Drummond as an inside presence during Monroe’s absence showed that he was just as good as his frontcourt partner was when the team needed him. More importantly, the Pistons were winning with Andre manning the pivot.

On April 3, Andre Drummond would have his 11th and final game of grabbing at least 20 rebounds for the season when he had 22 boards in a loss to the Bulls. He also had 14 points and six blocks that night. And when Monroe returned a few nights later, Drummond could not be stopped from leading his team on the offensive end. He would have 22 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to Boston before finishing the season scoring double digits in all but one game since March 17 when Monroe went down with an injury.

At the end of the season, Andre Drummond averaged 13.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. He was second in the league concerning double-doubles as Pau Gasol led the way with 54. Drummond had 48 considering his offense still needed refinement. But even so, he would also finish second in rebounds per game and first in offensive rebounds to prove that he was the best in the NBA at collecting missed shots on the offensive end.

However, the Detroit Pistons would still end up as a fodder team after winning only 32 games. It was also becoming clear that the Drummond-Monroe experiment was not working. It was not because the two big players had a bad relationship. Andre Drummond was a humble player that could not care any less about his stats. It was only because both Drummond and Monroe thrived in the paint better on their own than together. Drummond showed he could play better as the option at the post while Monroe was also actually playing better when he was the center on the floor as Andre rested on the bench during certain stretches.

With Greg Monroe ending the season as an unrestricted free agent, the questions about the future of his partnership with Drummond in Detroit became a cause of concern for the Pistons. Were they better off without Monroe, or did they need the other big man in the paint together with their developing gem in Drummond? Or was Drummond a better player to invest on that Monroe in case they could not coexist on the floor? Those were questions that Andre Drummond himself answered when he broke out in his fourth season in the league.

All-Star Season, Playoff Debut

It would turn out that the Detroit Pistons had planned on investing all of their eggs on Andre Drummond instead of deciding to keep Greg Monroe with the team. Monroe had previously turned down an offer from the Pistons, believing he was deserving of a max contract. However, the Detroit Pistons thought otherwise, and for a good reason.

Greg Monroe, who was an unrestricted free agent during the offseason, opted to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for a total of about $50 million for four years. The Pistons offered him less. Because of that, Monroe headed over to Milwaukee and left Andre Drummond as the sole big man lording over all others in Detroit. With the paint a lot more free than it used to be, it was time for Drummond to break out.

One other reason for Detroit deciding to not keep Greg Monroe was Stan Van Gundy, who was hired as the head coach of the team during the prior season. Van Gundy was responsible for turning Dwight Howard into an All-NBA First Team player. By surround the athletic center with shooters around the floor, Van Gundy was able to utilize Howard’s talents to make the Orlando Magic of old one of the top teams in the NBA. He was out to do the same with Andre Drummond, but was restricted by the presence of Monroe. With Monroe gone, he was only going to make Drummond an even better player, the same way he did with Howard.

As expected, Van Gundy surrounded Andre Drummond with the best shooters on the team. He was the lone player in the paint while all of his other teammates were out there camping out on the perimeter and the three-point line waiting for kick out passes. This led people to think that Andre Drummond was going to be Dwight Howard #2. And with the way Andre Drummond started out the season, the Dwight Howard comparisons were not far off.

Andre Drummond would begin the season with 18 points and 19 rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, who were one of best teams in the entire league just a season ago. After that, Drummond would then have 18 points and ten rebounds in a win over the Utah Jazz, who had a pretty big frontline manning the paint. And for his first 20-20 game of the season, the Pistons’ big man would have 20 points and 20 rebounds in a win against the Chicago Bulls to help the team go 3-0 early on. But that was not the best of what Drummond could do at that juncture of the season.

On November 3 in just his fourth game of the season, Andre Drummond would have 25 points, which were scored on 12 out of 17 shots, and a new career high of 29 rebounds that included 11 on the offensive end. Though it came at a loss, that performance from Drummond proved that the 22-year-old center had become a man amongst boys in the paint. But Andre Drummond was far from done.

After posting 12 points and 17 rebounds after his career night against the Pacers, Drummond would have another big game on November 8 against the Portland Trailblazers in a win. He would have 29 points and 27 rebounds for another one of his huge nights. With that performance, Drummond joined elite center company. The only other two players in league history to have ever had three 20-20 games during the first six games of the season were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain, both of whom were considered two of the top five centers in the history of the NBA. Drummond joined them as the third player to have ever accomplished that feat. Because of that, he was also named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Andre Drummond would not slow down in what would be one of the best seasons of his career. After a four-game losing stint where Drummond was putting up double-double numbers, he would go for 25 points and 18 rebounds in a win against the favored Cleveland Cavaliers on November 17. The next game, he had 21 points and 11 rebounds in another win while being matched up against young rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns. That game culminated a 12-game double-double start for Andre Drummond.

On November 25, Drummond would lead a 23-point win against the Miami Heat with his 18 points, 20 rebounds, and five blocks. Four days later, in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, he would have 20 points and 18 rebounds, which included ten offensive ones. He would then end November with 24 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a win against the Houston Rockets and Dwight Howard himself. He thoroughly outplayed the man once considered the best center in the league.

Andre Drummond would go for another performance of more than 20 rebounds when he collected 23 boards in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 4. He also added 17 points, three steals, and two blocks in that game. He would complete a four-game winning streak for the surging Detroit Pistons by going for 18 points and 15 rebounds in only 24 minutes against the LA Lakers on December 6.

On December 11, Andre Drummond would have another double-digit offensive rebounding night when he collected 11 offensive boards in a win against the Phoenix Suns. He had a total of 18 points, 16 rebounds, two steals, and four blocks in that game. A week later, he would have the biggest game yet that season. In 54 minutes of action when the bout between the Pistons and Bulls went into four overtime periods, Drummond made 14 of his 25 field goals and collected ten offensive rebounds to put up 33 points and 21 rebounds. Since 1991, only he and Dennis Rodman were able to accomplish that feat for the Detroit Pistons. He would lead the Pistons in that win.

A day after Christmas, Andre Drummond would have fifth 20-20 game of the season in a loss to the Boston Celtics. He would have 22 points and 22 rebounds in that match. Then, five days later during New Year’s Eve, Drummond would have another near 20-20 performance in only 31 minutes of action when the Pistons blew the Wolves out by 25 points. He finished the game with 23 points and 18 rebounds.

Andre Drummond would continue putting up great double-double numbers as the New Year went on. In his first six games of 2016, Drummond would have five double-doubles. Then, on January 16, he would have 21 rebounds alongside 14 points in a win against a historically great Golden State Warriors team that went 73-9 that season.

Despite the fact that it was not a particularly good record to hold, Andre Drummond would shoot blanks from the free-throw line in a win over the Houston Rockets on January 20. The Rockets were intent on playing Hack-a-Shaq on Drummond by consistently and purposely sending him to the foul line. He would miss an NBA record 23 free throws in that game, but still ended with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

On January 27, Andre Drummond would have another big game in a win for the Detroit Pistons. He would have 25 points and 18 rebounds in that game against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. Then, in his first game of February, he would have 21 points and 18 boards in a win against the Brooklyn Nets. That was the second game of what was eventually going to be a 13-game double-double streak for Andre Drummond.

In the middle of that 13-game double-double streak, Andre Drummond would get selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve. Despite being a reserve, he would lead the Eastern All-Stars in rebounding after finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. He was one of only three players during that game to finish with a double-double, and he did it all in only 18 minutes of action.

After the midseason break, Andre Drummond would have six consecutive double-doubles to continue what was going to be a 13-game streak. The Pistons were 4-2 during that juncture. Drummond’s best game during that streak was when he had 12 points and 18 rebounds in only 27 minutes in a win against the 76ers on February 24. He had 15 points and 18 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on February 28 when the Pistons won.

Shortly after his 13-game double-double streak ended, Andre Drummond would have 25 points and 17 rebounds on March 9. At that point, nobody was even near his rebounding prowess. He already had a solid grip on the NBA’s rebounding crown, but continued to lord over the boards as the Pistons needed him to do. In his final 27 games after the All-Star break, Andre Drummond rebounded in double digits in all but three of them. He had 21 double-doubles in those 27 games.

By the end of his first All-Star season, Andre Drummond was averaging monster numbers. He normed 16.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks, all while playing only 33 minutes a night. He would also continue to show how great of a finisher he was by shooting 52.1% from the floor. Drummond, with 66 double-doubles, led the league in that category. And still, nobody was even near his level when collecting offensive rebounds. With that, the 23-year-old center was named a member of the All-NBA Third Team.

After helping the Detroit Pistons finish the regular season with a 44-38 record, Andre Drummond was also on his way to his first playoff series. But as the eighth seed in the East, they were going up against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who would eventually end up the 2016 NBA champions, but not without a fight from the Pistons in the first round.

In his first game of the playoffs, Andre Drummond would have trouble with the swarming inside defense of the Cavs. Cleveland would also throw bodies on him on the boards and when trying to finish baskets. Despite that, the Pistons tried to fight hard, but would end up losing anyway. Drummond finished this playoff debut with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Game 2 was not as close as Game 1. And with the Cavs making sure he did not dominate the glass, Drummond would only have seven rebounds after finishing with a career playoff high of 20 points. Cleveland would open the series 2-0. Game 3 was the same story after Drummond would have 17 points and only seven rebounds in another loss. Down 0-3 in what was obviously going to be a Cavaliers series win, Drummond led a charge to try and make things difficult for Cleveland. He would have a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. But in the end, the Cavs triumphed and swept the Pistons in Andre Drummond’s first playoff appearance.

Continued Growth

During the offseason, Andre Drummond was a restricted free agent. But the Detroit Pistons stopped at nothing to get back their best player and biggest asset as they awarded him with a five-year contract worth $130 million. With the explosion of the salary cap and the influx of revenue coming into the NBA, Andre Drummond became the highest paid player in Detroit Pistons history. While he could have signed an extension during the past regular season, Drummond waited for the salary cap to increase during the offseason.[8] Though he was never a selfish player, Andre cashed in at the most opportune time.

As the designated franchise player of the Detroit Pistons and with renewed vigor after getting a hefty sum only a season after he earned his first All-Star nomination, Andre Drummond would come into the new season with the mindset of taking his team back to the playoffs. In only his second game of the season, he would go for his 28th career 20-rebound game when he finished the win against the Orlando Magic with 12 points and 20 rebounds on October 28. Two days later, he would have 20 points and 23 rebounds in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

On November 5, Andre Drummond would go for his third double-double of the season in a monstrous outing against the New York Knicks. He finished that game with 19 points and 19 rebounds. He then proceeded to have consecutive double-doubles over the course of the next four games. One of those games included a 20-point, 17-rebound performance in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

On November 19, Andre Drummond reached a milestone at a young age. He became the second-youngest player to reach 4,000 career rebounds after having 17 boards in addition to 20 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. Only Dwight Howard reached that milestone at a younger age considering he played in the NBA a year younger than Drummond when the latter got drafted.

Four days after reaching a huge milestone, Drummond would have another big double-double outing when he finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds in a blowout win against the Miami Heat. In only 26 minutes, he thoroughly outplayed leading rebounder Hassan Whiteside, who he kept off the boards and easy inside incursions and finishes. Drummond also had four steals and four blocks in that game. He would then finish November strong by going for 20 points and 17 rebounds in a win over the Boston Celtics.

On December 7, Andre Drummond would have his second 20-20 game of the season after recording 26 points and 20 rebounds in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Just two nights after that, he demolished the Minnesota Timberwolves with his 22 points and 22 rebounds. He would outplay the younger and more hyped center Karl-Anthony Towns in that outing.

Andre Drummond would open the year 2017 on a strong note by going for 25 points and 18 rebounds in a win over the Miami Heat. Following that game, he had 20 points and 14 boards against the Indiana Pacers on January 3. Five days later, he would have 28 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in a victory against the Portland Trailblazers.

Averaging 14.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks, Andre Drummond is on his way to another possible All-Star appearance. However, the one aspect that would derail him is the fact that the Detroit Pistons are far off from their pace a season back. At 18-25, they are still fighting for a playoff spot but are among the East’s middle contenders. Detroit’s lack of success might affect Drummond’s chances at an All-Star appearance.

Chapter 5: Personal Life

Andre Drummond is the son of Jamaican parents who migrated to the United States before he was even born. His mother, Christine Cameron, worked as a nurse and was Andre’s best supporter when he was a child. His father was nowhere to be found after abandoning the family early on. Andre Drummond would, nevertheless, have father figures in the form of Phil Santavenere and several of his basketball coaches when he was a young boy.

A young Andre Drummond, early on in his NBA career, dated young actress from the TV show iCarly, Jennette McCurdy. It started out as a joke when Drummond agreed with a childhood friend that they would try to date the show’s two stars. He would send out tweets to McCurdy until the latter answered back. When asked, Drummond said he did it for fun but got pretty serious when McCurdy started responding to his tweets. Pretty soon after, they would begin a dating relationship.[i]

Though the two once said that their busy lives would not get in the way of their relationship, their partnership had to end. Due to personal matters, Drummond and McCurdy would soon part ways. The two stars would go on to live separate lives while cutting off ties with each other after the latter accused Drummond of circulating private matters that should have been restricted to them only.

Chapter 6: Impact, Legacy, and Future

Just looking at Andre Drummond would give a person the impression of what the man was really about. At 6’11” and 280 pounds, he is both big and strong at the center position and might even possibly be the strongest pound-for-pound at his area of play. But uncannily, he is far more mobile and athletic than what his body gives him credit for. With the fact that he is nearly almost pure muscle, Andre Drummond is one of the most athletically gifted big men in the league.

With the physical attributes that Andre Drummond possesses, it is not far off to say that he has what it takes to become one of the best centers in league history. The traditional center has become a lost position considering that most big men now tend to play outside the paint to hit open shots and stretch the floor while limiting their inside duties to blocking shots and rebounding. Andre Drummond is a breath of fresh air for those that miss what the center used to do for the league.

Like most centers of old, Andre Drummond dominates and lives inside the paint. He uses his size, length, and strength to muscle and wrestle his defenders for inside position. He finishes strong at the basket whenever he has a chance to do so by using his athleticism on top of his physical gifts. While still developing to become an elite post threat, Andre Drummond was like Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal inside the paint—unstoppable when in position.

But Andre Drummond was never restricted to using his athleticism and physical capabilities to finishing strong in the paint. He is arguably the league’s best rebounder after leading the league in rebounding rate since his second season in the NBA. Nobody else comes close to his nose for missed shots. And even if they did, no other player in the league is strong or athletic enough to keep Andre Drummond off the boards.

Nobody in the entire NBA is as good as Andre Drummond is at cleaning the offensive glass, either. Using his thick and sturdy frame together with his long arms, Andre Drummond’s instincts at collecting offensive rebounds is unmatched in today’s game. Since his second season, Andre Drummond has collected at least four offensive rebounds on average and is third all-time in offensive rebounds per game. Only two other players in league history were better offensive rebounders. The first one is Moses Malone, and the second is Dennis Rodman. Both players are Hall of Famers.

While rebounding may be the best attribute that Andre Drummond has, he is not too shabby on the defensive end. Using his long arms, leaping ability, and quick reaction, Drummond is a great shot blocker in the NBA, though his numbers may not always reflect it. He defends the paint just as well as, or even better than any other center in the league, and is even able to affect shots at a high rate without blocking them. Drummond’s presence in the paint alone strikes fear into opposing players’ hearts.

While defending the paint may be his top priority on defense, Andre Drummond has some of the quickest hands for a center. He has always averaged at least one steal per game since his rookie season, particularly because of his penchant for playing the passing lanes and using his quick hands to affect dribbles inside the paint. Because of that skill, he is an all-around defensive gem that could have an impact on both the paint and the perimeter.

With those attributes, skills, and capabilities in mind, there is no doubt that Andre Drummond is a reflection of the traditional center that used to dominate the league landscape. He knows his role and does it with more authority and more efficiently than any other center in the league. In the middle of his first All-Star season in the league, he was even often called the best center in the NBA. Though he did not have the numbers of DeMarcus Cousins or the wins of DeAndre Jordan or Marc Gasol, Drummond affects the floor on both ends just as well as or even better than those players. Leading the Pistons to more playoff appearances and postseason success would plant Drummond as an elite player and arguably the top center in the league.

Speaking of the Detroit Pistons, Andre Drummond has a lot of expectations on his wide and broad shoulders as far as franchise history is concerned. The Detroit Pistons have had the pleasure of being able to field some of the greatest centers in the history of the league. Three come to mind: Bob Lanier, Bill Laimbeer, and Ben Wallace.

Bob Lanier was a dominant best for the Pistons as he consistently put up 20 points and ten rebounds for Detroit. Going by the numbers alone, he is arguably the best center in franchise history. Only his lack of titles would contradict that fact. Bill Laimbeer, who played for the Pistons during the “Bad Boys” days in the 80’s, was the inside enforcer for Detroit. He was one of the most physical players both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. His lack of athleticism might have troubled him at times, but he was a dominant inside force. Lastly, Ben Wallace was a defensive monster that consistently led the league in rebounds and blocks. He was a limited offensive liability, but his defense was so exceptional that nobody noticed his lack of a scoring game.

Now, where does Andre Drummond fit among those great Pistons centers? Drummond is still far off from the accomplishments and feats of his predecessors but has the chance of rivaling any of them. He is bigger and stronger than Lanier, far more athletic than Laimbeer, and a better offensive player than Wallace. He has the size of Lanier, the offense of Laimbeer, and the body of Wallace. When it all comes down to it, he is the complete package that could grow to become the best center in Detroit Pistons history. More importantly, he is only 23 years old and still improving.

As far as the Detroit Pistons and the whole NBA are concerned, the future looks bright for centers with Andre Drummond being one of the leaders in that regard. Not only is he one of the youngest centers in the league but he is also one of the more established ones as he continues to lead a pack of young big man that play the role in a traditional way. Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor all come into mind as the league is now seeing an influx of centers of old that could still play like the modern pivot man.

The return of the traditional center rests on the strong shoulders of Andre Drummond. He is the pioneer in that regard, and the movement would only grow stronger if he can find success in the postseason or even win a title with the Detroit Pistons or any other team he might move onto in the future for that matter. With his youth and potential, the future would only get brighter for Andre Drummond and the entire NBA landscape.

Final Word/About the Author

I was born and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. Growing up, I could often be found spending many nights watching basketball, soccer, and football matches with my father in the family living room. I love sports and everything that sports can embody. I believe that sports are one of most genuine forms of competition, heart, and determination. I write my works to learn more about influential athletes in the hopes that from my writing, you the reader can walk away inspired to put in an equal if not greater amount of hard work and perseverance to pursue your goals. If you enjoyed Andre Drummond: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Dominant Centers, please leave a review! Also, you can read more of my works on Al Horford, Yao Ming, Marc Gasol, Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard, Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Jimmy Butler, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili, Pete Maravich, Larry Bird, Kyle Lowry, Jason Kidd, David Robinson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Derrick Rose, Paul George, Kevin Garnett,, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris  Paul, Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis, Joakim Noah, Scottie Pippen, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Tony Parker, Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Reggie Miller, Michael Carter-Williams, James Harden, John Wall, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, J.J. Watt, Colin Kaepernick, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Calvin Johnson, Brett Favre, Rob Gronkowski and Andrew Luck in the Kindle Store.

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References

Notes

[←1]

Abrams, Jonathan. “Giant Steps”. Grant Land. 16 October 2013. Web

[←2]

Jenkins, Lee. “From Project to Pillar: Pistons’ Andre Drummond Dominating the Middle”. Sports Illustrated. 2 December 2015. Web

[←3]

Brennan, Eamonn. “Michael Bradley’s Eligibility is Complicated”. ESPN. 7 July 2012. Web

[←4]

“Andre Drummond”. Draft Express. Web

[←5]

“Andre Drummond”. NBADraft.net. Web

[←6]

Chambers, Randy. “2012 NBA Draft: Scouting Report on UConn Huskies PF Andre Drummond”. Bleacher Report. 26 May 2012. Web

[←7]

Ulm, Cody. “Andre Drummond Injury: Pistons Rookie Out 'A Few Weeks' With Stress Fracture In Back”. SB Nation. 8 February 2013. Web

[←8]

Mayo, David. “Andre Drummond Agrees To Contract That Makes Him Highest-Paid Piston Ever”. Michigan Live. 1 June 2016. Web