NBA Draft Profile: Andre Drummond

By: Kels Dayton

ANDRE DRUMMOND

6-10, 270 lbs.

Hometown: Middletown, CT

School: Connecticut

Class: Freshman

Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

STRENGTHS: Andre has freakish athleticism, guard-like quickness, and a jaw-dropping ability to finish on alley-oops and lob passes. He’s an excellent shotblocker and will be a good defender on the NBA level because he takes pride in his defense. Drummond was arguably the most consistent player on a wildly inconsistent UConn team this season, which says something about this kid’s character. To come into such a chaotic situation and perform the way he did as a freshman was admirable.

Drummond has a good head on his shoulders and won’t give you the type of egotistical nonsense sometimes seen by lottery picks (cough, DeMarcusCousins, cough). He’s shown flashes of brilliance, putting up 20 and 11 in a January win over West Virginia and 17 and 14 in a two-point loss to Syracuse , but what makes Drummond a potential Top-10 pick is the fact that he’s shown an ability to play like a slashing small forward at times.

It didn’t happen very often, and it probably won’t rear its head in the NBA for a few years, but you could see that potential in brief moments with UConn last season (watch from the 3:35-4:00 mark in the video). It’s like there’s a tiny 3-man trapped inside a center’s body, just begging to come out. If it ever does, the team that drafted him will be very, very pleased.

WEAKNESSES: Talk about being raw. Andre Drummond is as unfinished as algebra homework. He lacks basic post moves on offense, can’t score with his back to the basket, can’t face-up, and generally looks like he has no idea what he’s doing unless you throw him an alley-oop. (He can finish those). His jump shot is offensive. His free throw is so bad it can only be described in ALL CAPS (.295 FT PERCENTAGE—.295!!). In a perfect world, he’d be heading back to Storrs in the fall.

BOTTOM LINE: There’s no doubt that Drummond has the potential to become a terrific NBA player. He’s got all the physical gifts a G.M. could ever ask for, and he’s a polite, intelligent kid who will put his head down and go to work every single day. If the right NBA team gives him the time and the teaching to develop, he could blossom into a star at the next level. But it’s going to take a lot of cultivating to coax that tiny 3-man out of Drummond’s uncoordinated 5-man body.

Video by: Jared Jones @elitehoopsaau