Detroit Pistons Center Andre Drummond Drawing 'Little Interest' on the Trade Market
One would assume that the Detroit Pistons would get more than a few calls if they place Andre Drummond on the trading block. After all, he's a double-double machine and one of the top rebounders in the league.
But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, there seems to be "little interest" in Drummond on the trade market due to his defensive shortcomings.
"We know what Drummond is on offense, or what he should be: a dive-and-dunk rim-runner who inhales offensive rebounds before the regular humans around him even get off the ground. Those players have value, even in the era of pace-and-space and stretch centers," Lowe said.
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"But a lot of their value has to come on defense, and that is where Drummond regressed. He played with low energy, and often let both his man and the ball slip behind him — leaving the rim naked," he added.
Lowe made a good point. Drummond has never developed an offensive game, but that's not going to be a problem as long as he continues to dominate the boards and score on putbacks. Unfortunately, he can't stay on the floor for long because of his subpar defense.
Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has a limited offensive game as well, but unlike Drummond, he happens to be a terrific defender. That's why Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy wants the center to emulate Jordan.
Drummond has to be able to hold his own on that the defensive of the floor if he wants to play more minutes and become an elite player. The six-foot-eleven center has the physical tools to be an elite defender. He just has to work on his overall defensive awareness.
Despite his struggles, many believe that Drummond still hasn't reached his ceiling yet. The center is only 24 and he still has a lot of room for improvement.
