5 Young NBA Stars Whose Primes Are Being Wasted On Terrible Teams

Andre Drummond, C – Detroit Pistons

It’s been a rough go of things since Andre Drummond came to Detroit. Since the Pistons spent the No. 9 overall pick on the big man, they’ve only made the playoffs once — a season ago when they were swept out of first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Prior to their postseason appearance last season, the Pistons hadn’t earned higher than 10th place in the East during Drummond’s time with the team. While they haven’t been a complete mess in 2016, they haven’t shown that killer instinct either.

It’s too bad, because it just so happens Drummond is one of the best young big men in the NBA. And at only 23 years of age, he’s still got a lot to offer. If only the Pistons knew how to put him in position to actually earn higher than an eighth seed.

Head coach Stan Van Gundy has slowly made progress with this team since entering the mix in 2014. However, the pace at which we’ve seen improvement can’t give Drummond much confidence in him seriously contending for a title anytime soon.

Still, Drummond signed a mega deal with the Pistons this past offseason, so he’s not going anywhere. Hopefully Van Gundy can get this franchise in gear as he continues to roll out his plan. For now, though, it appears Drummond’s prime years may be wasted playing for a Detroit team unlikely to ever taste the glory of a deep playoff run.