His one-man assault could only last so long, though, as the Detroit bench floundered the rest of the game, shooting just 25 percent (7-for-28) and committing seven turnovers. But that type of inept play is to be expected out of a Pistons roster still feeling the effects of some catastrophic personnel decisions over the last few seasons. (that would be you, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.)
Drummond has been a large influence on Detroit’s improved play this season on both ends of the court. The Pistons have jumped from 29th to 17th in offensive efficiency, and 25th to 19th on the defensive end. According to NBA.com, they are better in both regards and are less turnover prone when Drummond is on the court.
While Drummond’s exceptional play has come at the expense of many bench-units, his impact, talent and potential are unmistakable. Last night’s breakout has already caused some clamoring for Drummond to play more and even be inserted into the starting lineup. While his numbers certainly make a strong case for such a promotion, Detroit is likely better to keep Drummond developing on the bench through the remainder of this season in an effort to not overwhelm him mentally.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to do the same to opposing coaches.
Three things to keep an eye on
1. Will Chris Bosh become more involved: Bosh, who claimed to have been a Hall of Fame player as of four years ago last Friday, attempted just three shot attempts in the second half (including two overtimes) during Miami’s loss to Boston last Sunday. Miami travels to Brooklyn tonight for a showdown with the Eastern Conference’s hottest team – 11-3 in January – and will look to get Bosh more involved. “He’s one of our best players, one of our best shooters. …Three shots is definitely not enough for him,” LeBron James said. “We’ve got to do a better job of just trying to find him.” Keep an eye on how this will affect the flow of Miami’s up-tempo offense.
2. Derrick Rose participating in full-contact practice: The wait…is…almost over. Yes, Derrick Rose has finally been cleared for full-contact practice and is well on his away to making his highly anticipated return. Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday that Rose is now taking “full contact,” and the only thing left is putting in more time and then getting acclimated to a game situation. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Chicago is 7-3 in its last 10 games and is more than staying afloat amidst the absence of its best player (currently 3rd in the East). The good news: Derrick Rose will soon be cleared to make his return. The bad news: Thibodeau will then likely say “two more weeks.”
3. Lakers keeping focus: Ah, yes. An obligatory Lakers note. As maddening as their season-long soap opera has been, Kobe and Co. are now 3-0 sine they last restarted the season and appear to be keeping their focus.
The question at play here is if this is actually a trend or a blip on the radar? SheridanHoops own Andrew Kamenetzky believes their recent turnaround has been sparked by an all-around willingness to change for the bigger picture, led by Kobe Bryant. Bryant’s 39 assists in the last three games is cause for alarm in itself. But the numbers don’t lie, the Lakers are 1-13 when Kobe records three or fewer assists and 6-1 when he finishes with eight or more. They’re also demonstrably better when he shoots less than 20 times. And if LA can keep its focus, they might just be worth keeping an eye on.
Ben Baroff is an aspiring sports journalist and marketing professional who blogs and writes columns for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.