To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Philadelphia 76ers have once again been one of the biggest victims of the injury bug. Despite the season having just started, a slew of key players have already missed considerable time due to injuries, and the list seems to have just expanded with the entry of Andre Drummond.
During their latest victory over the skidding Brooklyn Nets, Drummond had to leave the game due to an apparent hyperextension of his right knee. The veteran big man had to be helped off the floor in a wheel chair, which was definitely an eerie sight for 76ers fans. As of writing, there has not been any tangible updates yet, but it definitely looked like a hyperextended knee.
If Drummond misses considerable time — and sourcing from precedence, he probably will — the 76ers will have a huge problem on their hands. Already missing Joel Embiid, the team is left paper thin at the center position, and while they were able to overcome it against the Nets, that issue of theirs will be put to the test and potentially magnified against better competition.
Andre Drummond leaves the 76ers with a huge problem after his latest injury
Drummond has been having a resurgent season after a very underwhelming individual campaign in the previous year, so this is certainly a tough break for him. After all, the former All-Star spent all summer long rehabbing from his minor, yet persistent injuries last season.
Even more painstakingly, the 76ers will have to chart a difficult course without him on board for some time. Assuming that Embiid will continue to be a no-show from time to time due to injury management reasons, the coaching staff could be looking at a big man rotation consisting of sophomore Adem Bona, rookie Johni Broome, and a couple of two-way additions in Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.
Nick Nurse and the coaching staff had to make up for Drummond’s premature exit by committee, but the Nets are not exactly known for having an imposing frontcourt. As such, trying to fill up the veteran center’s absence will probably be a defining storyline for the team in the next month or so.
To be frank, it is difficult to have much confidence in that group. None of those players tout the same intensity on the boards as Drummond. Bona is still prone to those head-scratching mistakes. Barlow is much better off being trotted at the 4 spot. Ditto for Jabari Walker, who is a natural power forward. Broome is a defensive liability at this point and has very little NBA reps to boot.
All of those could very well push the 76ers into emergency mode, at least with regard to the center position. That makes it all the more important for the team to have Embiid back, though the medical and coaching staffs do not share the same sense of urgency — and understandably so. Hence, fans should hope that Drummond recovers earlier than expected. He has become that vital to the team.