The Philadelphia 76ers saw their campaign end this past season at the hands of the New York Knicks, which eventually marched their way into the NBA Finals and the Larry O'Brien trophy. Normally, they would have been able to find some solace in the fact that they ran into a red-hot squad which peaked at the right time. However, they just got victimized by the same team, this time in the offseason.
Well, the 76ers have had a stellar start to the offseason –– there is no arguing that. However, that they lost Andre Drummond in free agency –– to New York, no less –– should be getting talked about more. Instead, the switcheroo that basically transpired (with Ariel Hukporti going to Philly on the other hand) has largely gone unnoticed as can be seen with the complete lack of hoopla around it.
Losing Drummond could end up backfiring in a major way for the 76ers. While that might shound like a sheer overestimation of what the veteran can bring to the table, his strengths were simply magnified with the team. Now, not only does he leave the group empty-handed, but he also stands to bolster one of their most formidable rivals in the league.
The 76ers could very well regret losing Andre Drummond to the Knicks
This past season, Drummond's importance to the 76ers became all the more apparent. While he is clearly no longer in his prime, he was more than serviceable enough as Joel Embiid's primary backup. The coaching staff tried supplanting him with Adem Bona, but the veteran was simply that much more reliable than his younger counterpart.
Still one of, if not the best, rebounders in the league, Drummond almost singlehandedly ensured that the 76ers can still secure those boards. Be that as it may, rebounding was a clear weakness for this group even with him on the roster. Now that he is not, that issue will definitely end up getting exacerbated.
The Knicks also lost someone significant in Mitchell Robinson, but signing Drummond was definitely a good bounce-back move for them without needing to break the bank. New York will still be the favorites to come out of the East next season as is customary for defending champs, and Drummond will surely play an important role for them.
Hopefully, the 76ers do not end up reeling too much from the loss of Andre Drummond. But for now, with Philly not yet having his direct replacement, the Knicks have them beat out in this one.
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