How best to handle Drummond?

[Whisper]

By signing him now, when July 1st rolls around next year, free agents will know that both he and Reggie are committed for the long term. No dinking around. Premium players will know our foundation is set. No ambiguity.

[hoophabit]

By signing him now, when July 1st rolls around next year, free agents will know that both he and Reggie are committed for the long term. No dinking around. Premium players will know our foundation is set. No ambiguity.

You make a good point. I'm not sure where they'll be in terms of cap space, but this is a good observation.

[detroitKG]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AndreDrummondd/status/620311704682037248[/tweet]

[jfuchs91]

There is certainly an appeal to having ~$13M extra to spend in free agency next offseason, but 1) you CAN'T risk Drummond leaving, and 2) it's Drummond's decision, but it's a big risk for him to wait and risk injury this season.

However, if I'm the Pistons, I lock up Drummond ASAP. He's still just 21 and is overlooked by many as a budding star in the league.

Last season, at age 21, Andre Drummond averaged 13.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and nearly 3 stocks per game.

This year, for the first time since high school, Drummond will play for the same coach in consecutive seasons, and the Pistons have made it clear that Drummond is the franchise's centerpiece. Drummond has always paired his elite athleticism with a massive frame, but late last season he displayed serious improvement in his post skills.

Stan Van Gundy is building a 4-out-1-in approach around Drummond like he did with Dwight Howard in Orlando. This is the perfect scheme for Drummond, who is already a historically great rebounder at age 21. He has more 20 rebound games before age 22 than anyone else in NBA history, and is already the best offensive rebounder in league. No other player this millennium has recorded more than 400 offensive boards in a season, and Drummond has done it in two of his three NBA seasons. He was first and second in total rebound% in the past two seasons respectively, and now he no longer plays next to Greg Monroe, who took many rebounds away from him.

It's clear that Drummond provides an elite source of rebounds and blocks, but I think people underestimate his scoring potential. Yes, Drummond does not possess a polished offensive repertoire, but he can easily score 10-15 PPG exclusively on lobs and putbacks (again, he's a historically great offensive rebounder. His ability on the offensive boards is seriously impressive). However, as he showed late last season, he has a burgeoning post game, and is still gaining more experience. 2015-2016 will be just his age 22 season, and with Detroit's offensive scheme, he'll have the paint to himself this year, where he can bully pretty much anyone in the league.

I'm very high on Drummond. His natural talent has never been in question (his physical gifts are probably top 5 in the league), but he really started to put it together down the stretch last year, and he finally has continuity for the first time in his career. Over the last two months last year he averaged 16/15, and his situation has improved this season.

Free throw shooting is obviously his bugaboo, but he's reportedly been putting in a lot of work this offseason, and the Pistons also just hired the renowned and well-respected Dave Hopla as a shooting coach.

I think Drummond could put up a line this season something like this: 17.5 PPG, 15 RPG, 2 BPG, and a SPG.

I think Drummond will be a star in the league, it's just a matter of when. The Pistons should be intent on getting him locked up as soon as they can.

[Snakebites]

I also think its worth noting that this is a team that is absolutely starving for continuity.

We are perceived, and accurately so, as a team that's a revolving door. Nobody who's here will be here for long. I think that image changes dramatically with the resigning of Jackson and moreso with the extension of Drummond.

Players really value that, moving forward, improving as a team, and showing that we have an established core will go a long way towards getting people to want to play here down the road.

We could probably get that if we sign him next offseason, but there's alwyas the chance that could be a protracted affair.

[Han Solo]

I also think its worth noting that this is a team that is absolutely starving for continuity.

We are perceived, and accurately so, as a team that's a revolving door. Nobody who's here will be here for long. I think that image changes dramatically with the resigning of Jackson and moreso with the extension of Drummond.

Players really value that, moving forward, improving as a team, and showing that we have an established core will go a long way towards getting people to want to play here down the road.

We could probably get that if we sign him next offseason, but there's alwyas the chance that could be a protracted affair.

[princeofpalace]

8-)

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AndreDrummondd/status/620311704682037248[/tweet]

Lyrics from a rap song about a woman. Not relevant to basketball

[DetroitSho]

8-)

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AndreDrummondd/status/620311704682037248[/tweet]

Lyrics from a rap song about a woman. Not relevant to basketball

Exactly, we should trade him for Austin Rivers before he abandons us.