Executive: Drummond Most Draft Potential
Dominating in today’s NBA requires a particular size and athleticism, arguably more than ever before. There’s just no way around competing in a game that is increasingly played at a faster tempo with more direct-line attacks at the basket. If a big doesn’t have the requisite length to protect the rim and the agility to show and recover on pick-and-rolls, it’s practically impossible to keep him on the floor when it matters most. It’s why once-stocky centers, such as Roy Hibbert and Kendrick Perkins, have slimmed down so dramatically. (Andre) Drummond already has vowed to drop 20 pounds off his 7-foot frame. Even at 279 pounds, though, his agility and sprint speed were eye-catching at the draft combine.
“He has the most potential and the most risk,” says the Eastern Conference executive. “He has big hands, and that’s usually a good sign for a big man who you look to make athletic plays above the rim. But he never put together an entire game at UConn where he looked like a top pick. Whether he becomes (Dwight) Howard or Kwame Brown will depend on whether he can develop consistency in dominating with his athleticism the way Dwight does.”
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