Two and a half years after a first brief stint, Andre Drummond is once again Joel Embiid's understudy at the Sixers. The center is leaving the Bulls, where he had played for two seasons, for a two-year, $10 million contract in Philadelphia.
A return desired by Joel Embiid, currently with the American selection, since Drummond reveals that he and Embiid have exchanged several times throughout the season.
“I spoke to him at times throughout the year,” Drummond says. “Every time he had a good game or I thought about him, I would ask him how he was doing. We always stayed in communication so that this relationship would continue.”
A rebound expert
The two pivots also discussed at the time of “free agency”, especially since Drummond had had difficulty digesting his transfer. In February 2022, in spite of himself, Drummond had been included in the exchange of Ben Simmons to Brooklyn for James Harden.
“As soon as he found out that it was possible for me to come here, he called me immediately. I respect him and I really appreciated it.” specifies the former Bulls pivot. “He FaceTimed me like, ‘Bro, are we doing this? What do we do then? What’s going to happen?’ His general enthusiasm was really the driving factor for me to come here.”
His arrival will allow the Sixers to solve a problem that has become extremely penalizing in the playoffs: rebounding. The Sixers had been eaten up by rebounds in the series against the Knicks. With his 8.4 points and 9 rebounds on average in only 17 minutes of play, Andre Drummond remains an exceptional glutton. He will also allow Joel Embiid to breathe without fearing too great a deficit in this sector of the game.
“I think that's why I'm here: to solve a lot of these problems.”Drummond believes. “I'm happy to be valued in that sense, to see the big picture. Not just being here for the season, but also for my playoff skills. I'm looking forward to it.”
