Detroit Pistons: 2018-19 player grades for Andre Drummond
By Amaar Burton
Strengths
Drummond recorded a career-high in scoring and (kind of) added a 3-point shot to his arsenal, but his most notable improvement in 2018-19 was as a defender.
The only player in the NBA to finish in the top 10 in blocks and steals, Drummond also led the league in Defensive Win Shares (5.9). He helped the Pistons rank seventh in the league in fewest points allowed (107.3 per game).
For those who include rebounding in their equation for Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team accolades, it helps Drummond’s case that he was also the league’s top rebounder again.
The Pistons are still in it with a much-needed win. And I know that it's a long shot, but Andre Drummond deserves a slot on an All-NBA Defensive team or an All-NBA team. He has played top five center basketball and is having a career year. https://t.co/VxGhC1m9K7
— Bernard Oliver (@boliver36) April 10, 2019
Offensively, Drummond’s output did not suffer due to Griffin taking over as the team’s No. 1 option and primary ball-handler in is first full season with the Pistons. Instead, Drummond became a better scorer thanks to Griffin’s presence and assistance.
He had a couple of games in which he topped 30 points. In the month of February, he averaged 21.2 points a night on 63.2 percent shooting from the field, and the Pistons went 7-3 that month.
Two years ago, Drummond was one of the worst free throw shooters in the NBA. He shot 38.6 percent from the line in 2016-17; he was one of those guys on the short list of “Hack-A-Shaq” candidates.
Last season, he drastically improved that number to 60.5 percent on free throws — not to be confused with Stephen Curry, but at least respectable for a big man — and this season Drummond kept up the good work by shooting 59.0 percent from the line.
During the offseason, workout videos fueled talk of Drummond expanding his shooting range. With the Pistons hiring head coach Dwane Casey, whose Toronto Raptors teams are known to put up a lot of 3s, it made sense to see if he could be a threat outside the paint.
Drummond did launch more 3-pointers this season than ever before. He took 38 total, compared to the combined 30 he’d taken in his first six seasons, but he only made five of those 38 tries. That’s 13.2 percent. So he’s taking them now, and while he’s not making them, it’s not necessarily hurting the Pistons. If anything, it just gives the man defending Drummond one more thing to think about.