This summer, the Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. While many have harped on their major acquisition of Paul George, Daryl Morey made multiple additions to the supporting cast to help their ability to contend.
Among the moves the Sixers made in the margins was bringing back Andre Drummond. Two years after spending half a season with the franchise, the former All-Star decided to come back to Philly as a free agent. Drummond will serve a crucial role, being the primary backup behind Joel Embiid.
Throughout his NBA career, Drummond has made a name for himself with his rebounding. While that might be the standout part of his game, he shines in other areas as well. In fact, Drummond is one of three active players with over 1,000 career blocks and steals. The others are a pair of surefire Hall of Famers, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The only active players with 1,000+ steals and 1,000+ blocks: pic.twitter.com/KNIvGJ01CG
— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 10, 2024
During his time with the Chicago Bulls, Drummond was one of the top reserve big men in the league. Playing just 17 minutes a night, he averaged 8.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 0.9 SPG. Drummond was also extremely durable, appearing in 79 out of 82 games.
Now back with the Sixers, Drummond will be called upon to play a much larger role. With contention in their sights, getting Embiid through the regular season healthy is the primary objective. Having a former full-time starter playing behind him makes that goal much more achievable.
Before being shipped to the Brooklyn Nets in the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade, Drummond played in 49 games for the Sixers in 2022. During that stretch, he averaged 6.1 PPG, 8.8 PRG, and 2.0 APG.
