There are times in a guy’s career where he gets snubbed for an All Star team a time or two due to “paying dues”, or like in the case of Andre Drummond this season, because he’s just not on a good team. The Pistons who are currently playing at a .400 clip, are not playing poorly due to Drummond’s play on the court. Drummond, 20, is in the top 3 among all Centers in the critical statistical categories aside from blocked shots. Let’s take a look at the numbers:
Andre Drummond
12.6 points
12.7 rebounds
60% field goal percentage
5.2 win shares
Roy Hibbert (All Star reserve)
11.8 points
7.8 rebounds
46% field goal percentage
4.5 win shares
Joakim Noah (All Star reserve)
11.7 points
11.7 rebounds
46% field goal percentage
5.3 win shares
(Don’t get me started on Chris Bosh, even though he has filled in admirably for the Heat with Wade out for extended periods of time.)
The numbers show that Drummond is deserving to not only make the All Star team, but he would be an acceptable starter if voted in by the fans. Drummond can partially thank the recent change by the NBA to eliminate the Center position from the balloting, so now fans are not forced to pick a Hibbert or Noah (who would be the popular choices) or like in past seasons Jamaal Magloire.
He also has his team to thank for the snub. The collective team has not played well enough in a weak Eastern Conference to elevate themselves into the playoff conversation, let alone to be represented in the All Star Weekend events. Sure, Drummond will play in the “Rising Stars Rookie vs. Sophomores” game. Had he been snubbed from that game, then we really would’ve had a problem. (I believe Kyle Singler AND Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were both snubbed)
As a group, the coaching staff and players should look to this snub as a personal affront and should serve as a cold, hard truth about how the outside world views them. The team is broken as a collective group, but even the stars are overlooked in favor for lesser performers. Greg Monroe is being the ultimate team player by playing out of position and putting up with career low usage. Andre Drummond is dunking everything in sight, to the tune of what should be an All Star reserve nomination and he has nothing to show for it. These are our 2 building blocks and they’re in the years of their careers when showing promise for the future means that they may want to stick around for the duration of their careers… and the bunch of guys around them are playing and working as if they have no clue what they’re doing or wasting away.
Maybe Drummond will receive some recognition if Noah by chance chooses not to play (he’s been injured a little lately), but even then the damage is done and the truth is in black and white. The Pistons are so bad, even their best players aren’t good enough for the bright lights.
Turrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible….
nailed it.
He did.
The sad truth is that I believed Drummond would get the nod. Silly me!
Great job Danny
I didn’t think he would. He deserves it, having a better season than the majority of the eastern reserves.
Proof is in the pudding. Only winners get noticed.
I do agree on both parts. Blame on the NBA for getting rid of the “Center” Category when it came down to All-Star voting (but that’s because of less and less True Centers being a thing in the NBA). Also, the Piston squad in general for actually being as bad as they are (I believe we should in the 6th seed right now).
A lot of us going in had a feeling that Drummond was going to get the shaft because of Hibbert and Noah basically the only ones that has some kind of ‘Star Power’ even if they are, on the stat sheet, getting out preformed by our own Sgt. Zero.
…anybody else think Andre Drummond should act like Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks and start talking about how better he is than the other reserves in the All-Star game? He’ll bring some press to the locker room. It’ll be negative press but, they say bad press is better than no press at all.
I’m still waiting for the redemption year Rip Hamilton talk about like 4 years ago.