Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Player Power Rankings: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?

By Maxwell Ogden

January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after shooting a three-point shot during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after shooting a three-point shot during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 23
Next
Jan 12, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) yells out during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Spurs win 109-99. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) yells out during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Spurs win 109-99. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

14. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons

Last Rank: No. 12

Position: Center

Age: 22

Slash Line: .531/.500/.358

Season Averages: 34.3 MPG, 18.0 PPG, 15.4 RPG, 5.4 ORPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Verdict: Lukewarm

Andre Drummond is toeing the very thin line between fantasy basketball and NBA stardom. His talent and statistics are nothing short of extraordinary, but Drummond’s horrendous free throw shooting has kept him sidelined for many key moments.

Detroit wouldn’t be 21-17 without Drummond, but one can’t help but wonder what its record would look like if he weren’t shooting 35.8 percent from the free throw line.

The poor free throw shooting isn’t just a number to focus on for the sake of counting missed shots. Instead, it’s to be acknowledged as something that prevents Detroit from utilizing Drummond to his fullest potential due to the hack-a-Shaq tendencies displayed by opposing teams.

For perspective on how bad it’s become, Drummond is just 6-of-33 from the charity stripe over the past six games.

The reality is, Drummond has been one of the 15 best players in the NBA over the course of the 2015-16 NBA regular season. He’s the league’s most dominant rebounder—the 22-year-old is No. 1 in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, and defensive rebounds per game—and has developed into a dangerous scoring threat.

The free throw shooting hurts, but Drummond—16.2 points and 11.2 rebounds on 61.3 percent shooting from the field over his past five games—is well on his way to his first career All-Star Game appearance.

Next: No No. 2? No Problem