Andre Drummond: Is He the Best Big Man of the 2012-13 Rookie Crop?

Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond have both been dominant rookie big men. (Photo Credit: Mark Allison, Flickr.com)

Andre Drummond has definitely exceeded expectations this year for the Detroit Pistons.

And, he has been one of the best, if not the best, rookies this year.

Despite receiving limited playing time and playing for a poor team, Drummond has managed to dominate (at times) and make an impact despite averaging about 20 minutes per game and missing time due to a back injury. The Pistons have dominated on the boards with Drummond and fellow big man Greg Monroe and while the two haven’t been paired up down low too often, they have given the Pistons hope for the future.

Drummond isn’t a good free-throw shooter and he is raw. However, there aren’t many other flaws in his game. Drummond dropped 29 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, April 10, and he went 10-for-11. Even though Drummond is a miserable free-throw shooter (36.5 percent), he managed to make nine free throws on 17 attempts in the game.

During a three-game span from April 6-10, Drummond grabbed 10, 10 and 11 rebounds. Drummond averaged 28.3 minutes per game (MPG) during that span, much more than his regular average of 20.2 MPG. Lawrence Frank has been hesitant to play the stud all year, despite flashes of greatness shown by Drummond.

Against the Boston Celtics on April 3, Drummond had some great plays, including a ferocious alley-oop dunk. Drummond somehow recorded seven offensive rebounds (in 21 minutes), including one on a free-throw miss where he jumped in front of everyone, snatched the ball and made a nice pass for a basket.

He has played like a big man, averaging a remarkable 18.3 rebounds per 48 minutes. Drummond is averaging 1.6 blocks per game, or 3.8 blocks per 48 minutes. He has been an absolute force in the paint and he will only get better with more experience and more time down low with Monroe. The Pistons will become a formidable rebounding team and if they can find a guard who can get the ball down low (or if Brandon Knight can become that player), the Pistons will be a great team.

However, if the Pistons hadn’t gambled on Drummond, they wouldn’t have been able to think big in the future.

There have been other solid big men, but Anthony Davis (and Drummond) have easily been the best out of them. Thomas Robinson, the only other big man picked in the top 10, is averaging 4.8 points per game (PPG) and there haven’t been any other big men emerging to the front of the pack. Davis, the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, is playing for a poor Hornets team. However, he has shown flashes of potential.

Davis has done a great job, averaging 13.5 PPG and 8.2 rebounds per game (RPG). He is shooting 51.6 percent from the field, and he hasn’t been a bad defender at all. Davis’ player efficiency rating (PER) is 21.8, which is well above the league average of 15 and fourth among power forwards. Drummond’s PER is 22.3, which is second among centers.

However, New Orleans has been much worse on defense this year than they were during the 2011-12 season. They were tied for seventh in 2011-12, forcing opponents to shoot 44.4 percent. This year, the Hornets are tied for 24th, allowing opponents to shoot 47 percent. New Orleans is 14th this year in points allowed, but they were eighth in 2011-12.

Obviously, Davis can’t take all the blame for this, especially because he is known for his defense. However, it shows that Davis hasn’t made a huge impact on the team defensively. Drummond is known mostly for his rebounding and he’s done that very well. Davis has as well and he has provided the Hornets with hope for the future.

Both big men have done a remarkable job this year. The bar was set much higher for Davis, so Drummond has definitely been the more surprising player. However, Drummond has also played better overall per minute. His PER (which is calculated on a per-minute basis) is higher, and he is averaging more rebounds per 48 minutes (Davis is averaging 13.7 per 48 minutes, which isn’t spectacular).

Drummond is a raw player, but Davis has a higher ceiling and will likely improve more. The Hornets can be a force next season, with Eric Gordon, Greivis Vasquez, Ryan Anderson and Davis. Drummond’s team has talent, but Drummond could also end up being a bust. Despite receiving limited minutes, Drummond has been more productive and efficient this year.

However, in the future, Davis will likely be better.

Both players will go on to have good careers and achieve success. Drummond has been hurt this year, and while he has high potential, he could flame out and become an average player. Davis has an extremely high ceiling, and he can be a star. Drummond has been more productive this year, but its very unlikely that he will end up being the best big man in this draft class.

Why? Because Davis is also in this draft class.