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The question isn't really defending Dre. His effort certainly appears lacking for stretches. Yet he managed to lead the league in rebounding.

Is he THAT special of a talent, that he can do it with sporadic effort?

I can't reconcile these two things.

Drummond is built for rebounding and boxing players out. He's athletic as hell with tree trunk legs and a big body, He can grab rebounds in his sleep.

He just has the "it" factor for rebounding. Quick jumps/hands and a good feel for where the ball will be. He also times his jumps well.

His rebounding has been exceptional since his debut. He is only 23 and has yet to come into his prime. He does lack mental focus some games which is concerning but I trust SVG to continue his development.

his raw ability when it comes to rebounding is incredible. he still relies on his athleticism more than his positioning but that just shows what a beast he is that he can get away with it.

i will say that our defensive scheme does help him a bit though. he very rarely leaves the paint which always leaves him in a decent position to get a board. other defensive schemes have their bigs play more on the perimeter when defending pick and rolls which hurts their chances of getting a board.

2 or 3 rebounds less per game would give the team 5-8 more. Sometimes he just need to hold the opposite center out of the battle allowing some teammate to grab the rebound.

Dre's single greatest gift might be his ability to remain perfectly upright while going over a players back. It's uncanny the way he can extend his arms horizontally and snatch balls from above or in front of other players like he's Miyagi catching a fly. Any other player would be creating contact and getting whistled like crazy for being out of position, but somehow Dre's core stays perfectly erect.

He's getting better about it but make no mistake, Dre is still horribly out of position with alarming regularity and he still manages to corral a ridiculous number of balls.

Having met Dre in person, he's just BIG. I mean, big. I've been around guys like Noah or Gasol, but they look skinny. Drummond is built like an oak tree. Being a big body helps in the paint.

That, and his athleticism.

He's just a gifted rebounder and is not even a full grown man yet.


Bye

It seems to me Dre has shown improved positioning and team rebounding this year. Particularly of late. Seeing him actually box out and set up a teammate for a rebound is maybe the most encouraging thing I've seen during the recent surge. Seems to be better understanding that they all succeed together. It certainly helps that he has a rare combination of bulk and agility. I suppose we'd all like faster, but he's progressing. Focus seems better of late.

His rebounding instincts are just way better than his defensive instincts.

If you're out there lost on D, simply maximizing your energy is probably just going to end up with you on the bench with a bunch of fouls.

Confidence plays a role as well. Dre KNOWS he's the best rebounder on the floor, and that gives an extra little boost. He clearly isn't confident like that in other aspects of the game so everything is more tentative.

He is that special of a talent. It's scary what he COULD be. Very

Special K said it from day one during Dre's preseason debut; Drummond has the best rebounding instincts since Rodman

His combination of size, strength, length, explosiveness and verticality are just really special. Only DeAndre Jordan is really comparable among big men, and DeAndre might even be more explosive but he's not as strong as Dre and he doesn't have baseball mitts for hands.