Not too long ago, it seemed like the Philadelphia 76ers have boosted their positive perceptions on Andre Drummond, who was turning in a hell of a bounce-back year despite his on-and-off role. However, given his recent stretch of play, suffice to say that the front office has probably become less enthused about the prospect of keeping him.
The veteran big man will be hitting the open market this summer, and he is still most probably going to get a good number of suitors due to his highly desired niche as a prolific rebounder. But despite the 76ers needing precisely that kind of archetype, they would be much better off taking a flier on perhaps a younger option than Drummond.
Even without Embiid, Drummond has seen his playing time get shafted in the last couple of games. He usually spot-stars when the former MVP is out, but Adem Bona has also usurped him in that fill-in role. It is becoming clear that the team is playing him significant minutes merely out of necessity, and as things currently stand, he is more likely to end up switching teams.
Andre Drummond has slowly become subpar for the 76ers as of late
Rebounding is the main feature of Drummond’s game. That is mostly what made him a two-time All-Star, after all. However, his production in the other parts of the game — which has been just enough in the past for his body of work to outweigh his clear cons — has simply not been up to par, especially as of late.
Drummond has never been anm elite rim deterrent, but his lack of vertical presence has become a problem for the 76ers. If he is not in good position right from the get-go, he is basically helpless on that end, although he does fare better in one-on-one situations. That being said, he is quite easy to take away from defensive sequences.
His finishing in the paint has also turned out to be a flaw of his. He is draining just 49 percent of his shots, which is easily the worst mark in his career. While he is shooting nearly 34 percent from three-point range, defenses remain ecstatic about leaving him open and having him as the release valve on offense to make the opposing team’s life easier on that end.
There is still some merit in the 76ers keeping Drummond, but if they can, they should seek younger options behind Joel Embiid. Thankfully, they have the draft and a full summer a few months from now to get it done.