By now you’ve heard that the 76ers are 4-1 for the first time since 2019. While a dynamic duo of guards and a plethora of wings have replaced the limited Joel Embiid and the absent Paul George, the 76ers have shown grit in multiple fourth-quarter comebacks and impressive wins. A key factor in their near-perfect start was the offensive recovery, with thirty-two-year-old Andre Drummond leading the charge. Drummond’s 7.5 rebounds per game are astonishing in such limited playing time.
Drummond’s career in Philly has been up and down over the past five seasons. He showed what a competent Embiid backup looked like in 2021-22 before being included, perhaps unnecessarily, at the trade deadline in the first James Harden trade as part of the package alongside Ben Simmons. That team lost to an undermanned Miami Heat team, largely due to disastrous play from the backup center position combined with an injured Joel Embiid.
The Big Penguin returned as the MVP’s backup for the doomed 2024-2025 season, logging just 40 games played and seemingly over his time as a productive NBA player. Drummond’s season, like everyone else except Quentin Grimes, crashed hard. But if the small sample size is to be believed, it appears the obituary may have come early.
The 76ers are seeing an unprecedented resurgence from Andre Drummond
By all accounts, Drummond wasn’t supposed to play a major role this season. Embiid’s health was improving. Coming out of training camp, it appeared the veteran’s expiring $5 million contract was more valuable in salary matching at the trade deadline than anything he could produce on the field. Drummond’s role likely filled Bona’s role on those too many nights where Embiid’s body burned out. So far this has not been the case.
This season’s 76ers are designed to play Drummond’s best basketball. Head Coach Nick Nurse has prioritized the offensive glass after finishing in the bottom third of the league last season despite continued poor shooting. Drummond’s brief stints behind Embiid, especially when paired with Adem Bona, provide ruthlessness and consistency on the offensive glass that has been a key part of his fourteen-year career. Drummond led the NBA in offensive rebounds in seven different seasons.
Drummond is unlikely to maintain his torrid pace on the boards (he currently ranks 38th in rebounds per game while averaging the fewest minutes of anyone in the top fifty rebounders). The 76ers have started the year against three bad teams and a scrappy Orlando Magic squad. But even if he slows down statistically, his effort and presence in the locker room could make it harder than expected for Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey to release Drummond at the deadline.
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