Andre Drummond is not Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks would be wise not to pretend otherwise.
That much is clear before New York even gets into the details. Robinson’s free throw problems were never enough to erase the fact that he’s the better player, and the market around the league backed that up. What the Knicks can do with Drummond is different: borrow from their own experience with Robinson and use that blueprint to cover some of Drummond’s weaknesses while leaning into what he still does well.
The biggest issue is on defense. Drummond’s lack of lateral mobility is the kind of flaw that won’t disappear because of a clever wrinkle or a new voice.
Against elite offenses, it’s going to show. He also doesn’t bring the same kind of brute force Robinson did in the paint, where Robinson made life miserable for Joel Embiid and other top centers by banging bodies and holding ground.
Still, New York has enough lineup flexibility to help him. Pairing Drummond with combinations of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Deuce McBride, and/or Landry Shamet should give the Knicks more ways to protect him on that end. The depth is there to mix and match, especially when the matchup calls for extra cover.
Offensively, the Knicks have a real chance to shape Drummond’s role in a way that helps more than it hurts. He and Robinson share one major strength: elite offensive rebounding. But what happens after the rebound is where the split becomes obvious.
Robinson went up for a putback on 44.4% of his offensive rebounds and produced 1.01 points per possession. Drummond did it on just 34.5% of his offensive boards and averaged 0.85 points per possession.
For a player who spends so much time around the rim, those are not strong numbers. But they also point to a possible adjustment.
The Knicks could push Drummond toward kick-outs instead of forcing putbacks every time, the same way they eventually learned to do with Robinson. He doesn’t need to be a polished passer to make that work. The key is making the decision quickly after the rebound and keeping the possession moving.
That same discipline matters even more when Drummond gets the ball and starts doing too much. The 76ers, at times, let him hold onto it longer than they should have.
Last season, he took three or more dribbles on 4.5% of his plays. That’s not massive, but it’s still far more than Robinson’s 0.5% rate.
The numbers get rougher from there. Drummond shot 17-47 on field goal attempts where he had two to six seconds of six time.
Those possessions need to disappear against good teams, and not just because the shot quality is bad. Every extra second a non-skilled big spends dribbling or holding the ball increases the chance of a turnover or a bad attempt.
For a Knicks offense built around talented creators, that’s wasted value.
That was one of the lessons of the postseason: in tight moments, every possession matters. Giving any of those to Drummond possessions that bog down is a gamble New York can’t afford to keep making.
So the formula is pretty straightforward. Keep his job simple.
Let Jalen Brunson and Jose Alvarado run the offense, and let Mike Brown and his staff - fresh off a dominant championship run - simplify the rest. Set hard screens.
Finish easy chances. If the shot isn’t there right away, move it.
If he gets an offensive rebound and doesn’t have a clean putback, kick it out.
Drummond will never give the Knicks what Robinson did on defense. But if they can keep him disciplined and avoid the mistakes other teams made with him, he can be serviceable at least until the trade deadline, when New York could go after another premium name.
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Knicks Still Have One Big Question Behind Towns And Drummond
The Knicks have already dealt with a notable shakeup in the middle, losing Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti from their championship group before turning to Andre Drummond on a one-year deal. That move gives New York a veteran body behind Karl-Anthony Towns, but it also leaves the front office still sorting out how much depth it wants to carry at center as the season approaches.
One possible answer is Trey Jemison III, who spent last season on a two-way deal and flashed enough defensive upside to stay on the radar. He played limited minutes, but his size, rim protection and rebounding fit the kind of insurance the Knicks could use if they want another big who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing a larger role. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Sit At Center Of Two Massive East Storylines
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There is also a more immediate concern closer to home for New York. Jalen Brunson recently revealed he played through a wrist injury during the Eastern Conference Finals and ultimately needed surgery, a reminder of how thin the margin can be in a playoff series that ends the season. With the Knicks still measuring themselves against the top of the East, Brunsons health looms as one of the quieter but most important storylines hanging over everything else. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Suddenly Face A Tough Choice They Did Not Expect
The Knicks offseason has already been busy enough with the usual free-agent housekeeping, but Jack Kayil has added a wrinkle they probably did not see coming. After sorting out a contract issue overseas and getting to the United States, the rookie has looked comfortable in Summer League, flashing enough skill to make himself part of a real roster conversation rather than just a developmental afterthought.
What makes it interesting for New York is the shape of the roster around him. Mitchell Robinson is gone, Ariel Hukporti is now in Boston and Andre Drummond arrived on a one-year veteran-minimum deal to help stabilize the middle, so the Knicks are not exactly short on questions at center. Kayils two-way upside and perimeter touch give the front office something to weigh against the safer path of adding more size, and the decision could say a lot about how aggressively the team wants to balance now and later. [Read more 🡒]