The Philadelphia 76ers just wrapped up their training camp in the Bahamas yesterday afternoon. In addition, Philly had a highly active offseason which saw them transform their team into a legitimate title contender.
One of their biggest acquisitions of the offseason was bringing back Andre Drummond in the backup center role. That is a highly valued position in Philly, because that player will likely at some point become a starter, in the event something happens to Joel Embiid. Also, Drummond was one of the best names available for this role. He will have to become a key contributor in this role for Philly to become a legitimate title contender.
Andre Drummond’s Fit With The Sixers
Become The Best Rebounder On The Team
The best skillset Drummond has is his rebounding ability as he is one of the best players in the association at grabbing boards. In addition, rebounding has been the biggest weakness for the Sixers over the past few seasons. As a result, the Sixers have a need for players who can consistently grab rebounds.
Drummond becoming that player that they can rely on to consistently grab rebounds throughout the season would be a huge improvement for the Sixers. Additionally, Drummond filling that role would help limit offensive possessions for opposing teams and give Philly multiple attempts at scoring points.
Last season, he grabbed 9.0 rebounds per game and may have more opportunities to increase that total during this season if forced into the starting lineup. Playing in lineups with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George should give him plenty of opportunities to be an impact role player for the Sixers this season. As a result, it should also give Embiid an opportunity to be fresher in the postseason.
Bring Toughness To Team
Additionally, bringing Drummond back to the Sixers adds more toughness to the squad. Drummond’s presence adds another veteran voice in the locker room, to help Philly navigate through the ups and downs of an 82-game regular season.
He has seen a lot of things during his NBA career, and if he can help some of the Sixers younger players develop more toughness, that will be an important thing for the development of the team. As a result, having someone like Drummond there will help with team unity.
Also, Philly has needed more veteran players like Drummond for quite some time. So, having a roster filled with vets who have that dog mentality in them will help the Sixers get through multiple challenges during this season and in the playoffs.
Andre Drummond Brings Inside Scoring With Embiid Off Court
Playing backup center in Philadelphia is not for everyone as that player has to be able to keep the Sixers afloat if something happens to Embiid. Drummond has the skillset to do just that.
Last season, he averaged 8.4 points per game with the Chicago Bulls. Playing for the Sixers may give him more opportunities to put points on the board depending on his playing time. In addition, with the amount of high-percentage shooting opportunities the Sixers offense creates, Drummond should score a bunch of easy buckets.
Drummond will play a key role during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and if he is able to do these things during the season, he will be able to help the Sixers get to that next level.
