Detroit Pistons: Evaluating Andre Drummond’s Development
Defense: Good and Bad
Andre Drummond has the reputation of a high-caliber defensive player. That’s an understandable determination given his dominant rebounding, ability to create turnovers, and production as a shot-blocker.
Beneath the surface, however, is overwhelming evidence that suggests Drummond is not the rim protector that most believe him to be.
According to NBA.com, opponents are shooting 52.6 percent when Drummond meets them at the rim. That’s not only a troubling number, but it’s a below-average mark that ranks outside of the Top 40.
As a team, the Detroit Pistons are No. 25 in points allowed in the paint per game, per NBA.com.
What’s contradictory is that opponents shoot 0.5 percent worse from the field when Drummond is the primary defender, per NBA.com. He plays well against the pick-and-roll and mid-post, but statistically struggles in protecting the rim.
The Pistons’ inconsistent perimeter defense, plays a major part in that but prime Dwight Howard-led teams were elite on defense. That’s an unfair comparison for Drummond at 22 years old, but Stan Van Gundy is attempting to build a team around the former UConn star in a similar manner to what he put around Howard.
Moving forward, Drummond needs to improve his defensive consistency and free throw shooting for Detroit to become a contender over the next few seasons.
In the meantime, his significant offensive development and dominant rebounding have positioned him to make a run at being the best center in the NBA. There’s stiff competition, including DeMarcus Cousins and Marc Gasol, but Drummond’s production is already elite.
The question is, can he make the final tweaks to erase his weaknesses and thus begin to develop secondary and tertiary phases of his offensive attack?