Andre Drummond is headed to the Knicks on a one-year deal worth about $3.9 million, and the assignment is straightforward: rebound, screen, protect the paint, and give New York’s second unit a bigger feel than it had a season ago.
With Mitchell Robinson gone in free agency, the Knicks had a clear need behind the starting center spot. Drummond won’t duplicate Robinson’s timing or vertical pop, but he does bring a sturdier rebounding presence and plenty of experience.
Last season with Philadelphia, Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes. Over the course of his career, Basketball-Reference lists him at 12.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
The appeal here is pretty obvious. New York doesn’t need a backup center trying to run the offense from the post. It needs someone who can keep possessions alive when the starters rest, set physical screens for the bench guards, and punish teams that forget to box out.
That’s where Drummond fits. His game around the rim has never been about finesse, and the Knicks won’t be asking for it. They’ll be looking for extra possessions, a big body in the middle, and fewer empty trips when he catches the ball.
It also helps that this keeps Karl-Anthony Towns from having to absorb every center minute. Towns can stay in his offensive lane without spending the whole year banging with bigger bodies on the glass.
The real question comes later, when the playoffs arrive. Regular-season minutes should be there for Drummond, but postseason basketball changes the equation. Opponents will drag him into space, attack him in pick-and-roll, and force New York to prove it can keep him on the floor in the closing stretches.
Even so, the deal still makes sense. The Knicks should view him as a matchup option, not a permanent finisher.
Some nights he’ll be the right answer. Other nights, they may need more shooting or a smaller look.
That’s the value of the signing: it gives New York a usable backup plan without demanding that Drummond be someone he isn’t. He isn’t Robinson, and he doesn’t have to be. If he rebounds and defends the way the Knicks need, they’ll be better positioned when April arrives.
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