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.”

via Ric Bucher of ESPN The Magazine