As players, Stephen Curry and Andre Drummond are close to polar opposites. When it comes to how they began the 2015-16 season, though, stars of the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons are very, very similar. Curry and Drummond have been named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played between October 26 and November 1.
You know about the reigning MVP’s recent play by now. Staving off any effects of a championship hangover, Curry led the Warriors to an utterly dominant 3-0 week despite the ongoing absence of coach Steve Kerr by scoring 118 points on just 68 shots. Though his 24-point explosion in the first quarter of Golden State’s season opener seemed like it couldn’t be eclipsed, he did just that a few days later by pouring in 53 points – including a 28-point third quarter – during a rematch with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Conventional wisdom said that voter fatigue and a more casual approach to the regular season would render Curry’s chances to repeat as MVP moot. After less than a week, however, it bears wondering not only if he’ll be hoisting another Maurice Podoloff Trophy come spring, but just how much better he could be this season than in 2014-15.
While Curry is taking steps passed superstardom, Drummond is on the verge of approaching it – and will soon if his early play is sustainable throughout 2015-16.
The 22-year-old big man guided his ascendant team to a 3-0 record last week by averaging 18.7 points and a league-best 16.3 rebounds per game. And for all those assuming the Pistons simply feasted on bottom-dwellers en route to an unblemished start, think again: Detroit defeated the Atlanta Hawks in Phillips Arena on opening night, then went home to beat the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz for three wins in four days. In games against teams other than the Pistons, those teams are a perfect 8-0.
Though certainly dominant over the past week, Drummond still showed major room for improvement. He’s a dismal 3-of-18 on post-up opportunities, and made just 4-of-10 freebies versus the Bulls after a promising start at the charity stripe. Drummond may not become a low-block hub this season and almost certainly won’t emerge as a solid free throw shooter, either. That he’s primed to be an elite player regardless, though, is indicative of just how bright his future remains – not to mention that of the Pistons’, too.
