Sixers: Ranking the Sixers’ reserves in order of importance

Ranking the Sixers’ reserves — 4. Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond has proven time and time again this season that, on talent alone, he can carry the Sixers. When locked in, he’s an excellent rim protector and a genuinely dynamic offensive threat. He can facilitate from the elbow, face up and score inside, or dominate smaller defenders at the rim. The Drummond Experience has been a largely positive one for the Sixers thus far.

That said, he is still the backup center to Joel Embiid. When healthy, Drummond’s minutes are capped in the 15-20 range. He can be extremely productive in that short timeframe, but Drummond inherently has less value than a reserve who can complement the Sixers’ best player, rather than replace him.

Also, there is a darker side to the Drummond experience. He played only 12 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Utah. Not because of foul trouble, but because the Jazz played him off the court. The Sixers have experimented with small ball on multiple occasions, and there are certain matchups where Drummond is operating out of his depth defensively, despite his immense physical talent.

The Sixers have unlocked the best version of Drummond at this stage in his career. He’s a great No. 2 at center. A player who, in limited doses, can truly impact the outcome of a game on both ends. That said, when you look over the depth chart as a whole, it’s difficult to consider ranking Drummond any higher than this. His necessity is tied inextricably to Embiid’s health.