The Sixers‘ most surprising move of the summer was the Andre Drummond signing, which caught fans by surprise given his history of on-court beef with Joel Embiid. While social media memes and on-court bravado normally don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, it is weird (and objectively funny) that Drummond will now suit up behind Embiid.
In general, it’s a commendable move from the Sixers’ front office. Drummond was an All-Star three years ago and is one of the NBA’s top rebounders. Even last season, he was mostly serviceable in his time on the court, even if he looked over-extended as the starting center in LA. He shouldn’t look over-extended in Philly.
Drummond signed to a one-year veteran minimum contract, clearly intending to prove himself on a contender. The 28-year-old has reached a pivotal point in his career, and will no doubt have something to prove next season. He probably wants a bigger contract in the summer of 2022.
Here are some goals that could help him accomplish that.
3 goals for Sixers center Andre Drummond: 10.0 rebounds per game
This is an admittedly lofty goal when one considers Drummond’s role on the team. That said, Dwight Howard played 17.3 minutes per game for the Sixers last season, and Drummond should see similar playing time (if not a few more minutes here and there, as he’s objectively much better than Howard). Howard is another elite rebounder, and he averaged 8.4 per game.
Again, this is a goal for Drummond to set. It may not be practical or achievable, but over the course of NBA history, there have been more extreme statistical accomplishments. Drummond might be the best rebounder in the NBA — he has four rebounding titles on his resumé. If anyone can eclipse the 10 per game mark in under 20 minutes a night, it’s him.
Drummond will need to embrace a smaller energy role with the Sixers. He can’t focus too much energy on calling for post-ups and trying to create his own offense. He needs to hold down the fort defensively and give the Sixers a real backbone when Embiid sits. Him being an absolute vacuum cleaner on the glass would help, and that’s why the Sixers brought him in.