Andre Drummond didn’t take long to make his presence felt in a Knicks uniform.
In his official New York debut, the veteran center was already stacking up numbers by halftime against the 76ers, posting 10 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. He added three assists and two blocks as the Knicks took a slim lead into the break.
New York brought Drummond in to fill the backup center spot after Mitchell Robinson left for the Boston Celtics in free agency, and the early returns looked promising on opening night.
Drummond, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, is in his 15th NBA season and his first with the Knicks. He arrived after four preseason games in New York, where he played a little over 14 minutes per contest and produced steady numbers: 8.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocked shots while shooting 55 percent from the field.
Last season with the 76ers, Drummond appeared in 63 games and made 25 starts while logging a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from 3-point range and 63.1 percent at the free-throw line.
One of the most striking changes in his game has been the long ball. Before last season, Drummond had attempted 186 3-pointers across 13 years and made 23. Then he launched 90 last year and knocked down 32 of them.
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Knicks Let A Struggling Rival Expose A Problem Fans Feared
Philadelphia finally got off the schneid with a 106-100 win over the Knicks, and the result carried a little more weight than an ordinary early-season loss. The 76ers were able to survive their own shooting issues because Tyrese Maxey kept pushing the pace and Philadelphia's defense and ball movement held up when it mattered, a reminder that the Knicks still have work to do even against a team that had been searching for its first victory.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson were the main sources of offense for New York, but the bigger concern was how often Philadelphia was able to make the game uncomfortable on the other end. For a Knicks group trying to establish itself early, letting a struggling rival dictate stretches of the game is the kind of lapse that tends to linger, especially when the other side finds enough edge to cover its own flaws. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Title Night Had One Ring Moment Fans Didn't See Coming
The Knicks made Opening Night feel like a celebration before the ball even tipped, with championship rings handed out and the new banner rising at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20. It was the kind of scene New York has waited a long time to see, a reward for a run that ended with the franchises first title in 53 years and Jalen Brunson taking home NBA Finals MVP honors.
Some of the buzz around the night spilled well beyond the arena, too, when Danhausen jumped onto social media and publicly asked for a championship ring of his own. He even singled out Karl-Anthony Towns in the request, jokingly asking to borrow one, a reminder that once a team reaches that level of spotlight, the attention can turn playful fast and the victory lap can wind up reaching places nobody expected. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Sent LeBron A Message He Couldnt Ignore At MSG
Madison Square Garden was already buzzing for the season opener, but the loudest moment came when LeBron James stepped to the free-throw line and Knicks fans made their message impossible to miss. The chants were pointed and immediate, with the crowd letting James know, in no uncertain terms, that he was not wanted in New York.
It made for a sharp reminder of how much the Garden can still turn into a referendum on star power, especially when James has long talked about the idea of playing and even finishing his career there. But this is also a fan base that has grown more attached to its own team after recent championship success, and the nights hostility did not stop with James, as Philadelphia center Joel Embiid also drew chants from the crowd. [Read more 🡒]