76ers center Andre Drummond is already looking like the steal of the offseason

Once a player has earned a reputation, sports fans typically refuse to let them rewrite their own narrative. In the case of Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond, the widespread belief that he provides empty numbers has followed him for years on end.

Despite the fact that he proved to be a net positive in 2023-24, that inevitably resulted in the 76ers' decision to sign Drummond during the 2024 offseason being overlooked as a meaningless addition.

Drummond is one of the prolific rebounders in NBA history, pulling down boards on both ends of the floor at a rate to which few can compare. He's currently No. 35 in career rebounds with 10,710, as well as No. 13 in offensive boards at 3,672.

Drummond is also No. 14 in the NBA and ABA's combined history at 12.35 rebounds per game—a number that may fluctuate, but only due to his new role.

In 2023-24, Drummond averaged 9.0 rebounds and 3.4 offensive boards in just 17.1 minutes per game. That translated to an absurd 18.9 rebounds and 7.1 offensive boards per 36 minutes, which aren't quite as far off from his career averages of 16.4 rebounds and 5.6 offensive boards per 36 as one might presume.

While some have written Drummond off as a box score fluke whose numbers fail to illustrate his value, Philadelphia identified the flaw in that dated logic.

Andre Drummond picking up where he left off in 2023-24

In 2023-24, Drummond was one of the few players who provided consistently positive value for the 39-43 Bulls. He produced the second-best net rating of any Chicago player who played at least 1,000 minutes at plus-0.8.

When he was off the court, the Bulls produced a net rating of minus-2.6—a favorable swing of plus-3.4 in Drummond's favor that was an accurate depiction of his value.

Perhaps he's no longer the player who can give teams an All-Star level of play, but he's mastered the art of thriving in short bursts. He's taken accountability for his previous shortcomings and backed the talk up by changing his mentality on the court and sidelines.

In turn, Drummond has become the perfect player to help the 76ers navigate the latest development in the Joel Embiid saga.

With Embiid sidelined by injury, Drummond has stepped up to help the 76ers survive in his absence. He's averaged 28.3 minutes per game through three appearances, tallying 10.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.3 offensive boards, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block during that time.

Some of those numbers may decline once Embiid returns to the lineup, but they're far from unsustainable based on what Drummond has proven in the past.

Once Embiid is back in the rotation, Drummond's ability to dominate the boards and create second chances should help anchor an improved second unit. He's also proven to be a willing and capable passer who ranks among the better distributors at his position.

It's still early, but Drummond is proving that Daryl Morey and the 76ers were wise to take a chance on him when others had written him off entirely.