What a difference three weeks makes.
The Detroit Pistons have won 10 of their last 13 games, emerging as one of the league’s brightest stories after beginning the season as its biggest disappointment. Key to the team’s rise has been the play of third-year big man Andre Drummond, who’s steadily emerging as a devastating interior presence on both ends of the floor.
The 21 year-old star recently took some time from spurring the Pistons’ midseason turnaround to talk with Dime about interacting with fans, the ballyhooed release of Josh Smith, his team’s chances for 2014-2015 and more.
*** *** ***
Dime: It seems like you’re a pretty outgoing guy – very active on social media and all that stuff. Have you enjoed getting behind the camera for American Express’ Home Court Advantage series?
Andre Drummond: Yeah, it’s definitely fun for me to be a part of that. Really just to share a part of my personal life to let all my fans and supporters know what I do on and off the court. That’s just the best part of Home Court Advantage. Like you said, I’m very active on all of the social media stages, so when the idea was brought that I be part of this AmEx project it was just a great fit for me.
D: One of the main goals of the Home Court Advantage series is to give local fans a unique look at their star players and the guys they follow day-in, day-out. How important is it for you to connect with Pistons fans and the people of Detroit?
AD: You know, to give them an opportunity to see what I do when I’m not playing basketball really them insight to let them feel like they really know me, and know what my life’s interests really are. For them to see me bowl and let everybody know that it’s one of the things I really enjoy doing the most kind of gives them that inside look, and allows them to be a part of what I’m doing.
D: I have to ask you about bowling, actually. This summer you posted a pretty hilarious Vine – I’m looking at it right now – of you dribbling a bowling ball, throwing a behind-the-back pass to a guy. Now in this latest video you seemed to have improved just a bit. Are you a little better on the lanes these days.
AD: (laughs) Yeah, you know I kind of got a little mixed up with the bowling ball and the basketball there. It was actually one of my good friend’s ideas to do that. Everyone knows I love bowling and of course I’m a basketball player, too, so it was fun to kind of bring them together. But yeah, I’m actually a much better bowling than that.
//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
D: Now that you guys are playing so well and have kind of turned the season around, have you noticed an increased level of support in Detroit?
AD: Yeah. Everybody’s comin’ out now to see what we’re doing. We’ve always had our support there, but now that we’re playing a lot better and winning games everybody is supporting us even more than before.
D: What do you feel like is the biggest difference between the way you guys are playing now and how you were just a few short weeks ago?
AD: You know, I think that Stan [Van Gundy] has done a really good job of focusing on our younger group and really trying to develop us. We built a confidence winning those seven games in-a-row to where we feel very confident that we’re a good and we can beat anybody on any given night.
Click here to learn Drummond’s thoughts about the release of Josh Smith and more…
D: Everybody talks about the release of Josh Smith turning around your season, and the results support that. He recently came out and said that he was rooting for you guys and is exciting to see you playing well. Did his public support surprise you at all?
AD: Not at all. I mean, Josh is a great player and a great teammate, too, so it’s not a surprise that he’s still supporting us in Houston – and we all support him too and wish him success over there.
D: So would you say the reason it didn’t work out with Josh in Detroit is more related to basketball fit as opposed to chemistry issue or locker room problems?
AD: That’s just not my job to worry about what the front office does. My job is to come in every day, work hard, and play basketball. It wasn’t my decision to make that happen, but that’s just the way of the league, you know? So we just gotta try to move onto the next chapter.
D: You’ve improved your post-game a lot this season, but your main role on offense is still to set high ball-screens and roll hard to the rim – hopefully catching a pass on the move or drawing help defenders from teammates. Some stars might not be happy serving as anything less than a primary offensive option. Has your role this season been difficult to accept?
AD: I’m the type of guy where I’m a team player first. Whatever my role is that most helps our team win I’m gonna do it. So if I’m asked to set screens and roll to the rim, block shots, and grab rebounds, that’s what I’m gonna do knowing that it gives us the best chance to win.
D: Greg Monroe is one of the most skilled back-to-basket scorers in the league. He’s got an assortment of moves down there: fakes, spins, up-and-unders, and more. Has he taught you anything about post play? Or is there a specific move of his that you’ve tried to adopt?
AD: Man, going up against him in practice every day is probably one of most frustrating things. Like you said, he has a lot of stuff to his game and you can’t help but go for his fakes because he sells them so well. Playing against him can be very frustrating; like I know what moves are coming, but I still end up falling for them. So watching him and really trying to take the things he does and put them into my game is something I’ve really been trying to do all year.
D: You recently told Sports Illustrated that one of your goals is to get 20 boards every night. Do you think you’re the best rebounder in the NBA?
AD: Man, it’s just one of those things where you have to have the will to do it. Do I think I’m the best? I think I’m one of the best as of now. That’s one the things I know I’m good at, so that I’m gonna do – just grab rebounds on both ends of the floor whenever I can.
Click here for Drummond’s assessment of Detroit’s ceiling and more…
D: You’ve made obvious strides on the defensive side of the ball. Big men have to defend so many ball-screens in today’s NBA. What’s been the most difficult part about pick-and-roll defense for you?
AD: Just guarding those fast guards, you know? Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving – the guys that can put a crossover on you and split the defense when they’re coming around screens. It comes to really just moving your feet and trying to stop the ball.
D: Is improving in those situations something you really focused on this summer to get better at this season? It seems like it.
AD: Absolutely. Absolutely.
D: You’ve gotten better in so many ways over the past couple years. What’s the next aspect of your game which you want improve upon most?
AD: I just want to continue to work on my back-to-the-basket game – when I have the ball and when the opponent does, actually. And then continuing to get better in pick-and-roll defense and definitely work on my free throws.
D: You guys are winning and you’re putting up some big numbers. What do you think your chances are of being named an All-Star?
AD: I’m not really focusing on that right now; I’m really just focusing on the team and taking it day-by-day and game-by-game and really just trying to be the best player I can be. And you know, I have no control over that. But if I do become that I’d be very excited.
D: You guys have been one of the better teams in the league over the past three weeks – you’ve won 9-of-12 (Editor’s note: Now 10-of-13) games and are doing it on both ends of the floor. Just how far can this team go if it keeps playing at this level?
AD: I think we’ll be great, man. I think we’re gonna be good. We’re gonna continue to work hard, and take it step-by-step to becoming a great team.
What do you think?
Follow Jack on Twitter at @ArmstrongWinter.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
