After a somewhat dramatic holdout, it appears that there’s a strong possibility that Ben Simmons could return to the Sixers. If he does indeed reunite with the Philadelphia 76ers, there’s one player in particular who would suffer the most from the All-Star’s return.
It’s not superstar Joel Embiid or second year point guard Tyrese Maxey. It’s not even backup guard Shake Milton who could be out of the rotation if Simmons comes back. It’s actually back up center Andre Drummond.
Simmons’ return to the Sixers would hurt Andre Drummond the most.
Drummond is on a road to redemption in his career. He was “the man” with the Detroit Pistons for most of his career. Then he was traded for pennies on the dollar to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was asked to sit out until they could trade or waive him last year and they ended up buying him out of his big contract.
He joined the Los Angeles Lakers where he looked unmotivated and out of shape. This offseason he joined the 76ers as a backup center who could start for Embiid if he misses games. Thus far in the preseason, Drummond has proven not only to be a big upgrade over Dwight Howard from last year, but he might be the best backup that Embiid has had in his career.
If Drummond proves to be a high-end backup this season, he could get another chance as a starter in the NBA. That being written, if Simmons does return, it’s not a good idea for him and Drummond to share the floor.
Until Simmons proves otherwise, he can’t space the floor, and neither can Drummond. They would be horrendous on offense just like Simmons and Howard were last year. There’s a good chance that head coach Doc Rivers would have to turn to Georges Niang or Paul Reed to play center when Embiid sits to accommodate Simmons’ limited scoring range.
It was also reported by Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer that Rivers offered Simmons a “Giannis Antetokounmpo” role on offense when Embiid sits. That means Simmons would be the lone non-shooter on the floor. If that happens, then there’s no place for Drummond in the rotation.
Having Simmons return to the Sixers would not only ruin Drummond’s chances for consistent minutes this year, but it could also stop him from ever becoming a starter in the NBA again.