The Los Angeles Lakers finally broke their silence and made their first major move of the 2020-2021 season.
The Lakers came out of the first round of the buyout with arguably the best player in Andre Drummond.
OFFICIAL: We got Dre. Welcome to the Lakers Family, @AndreDrummond! pic.twitter.com/AGtLwOq38h
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 29, 2021
This arguably gives the Lakers a big three with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond.
With the team obviously in win now mode with their franchise player being 36 years old, the question is raised on if Drummond will be enough firepower for the Lakers to repeat as NBA champions.
What Drummond Brings To The Lakers
Fans and analysts alike are questioning truly how much value Andre Drummond brings to a team.
While he has amazing stats year in and year out, many have questioned just how much impact that he has on a game.
Along with this, one of the major cons that were brought up before the Lakers signed Drummond is that he often does not give full effort on the defensive side of the ball and has yet to be apart of a winning team in his nine seasons in the NBA.
While it is true that Drummond sometimes lacks effort on defense, he has never really had a reason to play 100% every time he is on the court.
He has never been on a team that has truly had aspirations of anything more than a first round exit in the playoffs.
During his entire career, Drummond has only played for the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both franchises have been laughing stocks in the 2010s through current day.
With the great veteran leadership the Lakers have, it is almost certain that they will hold Drummond accountable of playing to the best of his abilities at all times.
As far as questioning Drummond’s ability to be a winner, he has never had talent around him like he will on the Lakers.
Before joining the Lakers, Drummond’s best teammate was arguably a broken down Blake Griffin.
The Lakers are one of the most talented rosters in the league.
Drummond will have no shortage of skilled teammates in Los Angeles.
Drummond will being elite interior defense to the Lakers.
Currently, Anthony Davis and Montrezl Harrell are the only big men that can really play defense.
Over his career, Drummond averages 1.5 blocks and 9.1 defensive rebounds per game.
Another thing that Drummond will contribute is gaining extra positions for the Lakers.
He is one of the best rebounders in the league on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, he averages 4.7 offensive rebounds per game throughout his career.
Those four to five extra possessions could be the difference between winning and losing major playoff games.
Can Drummond Put the Lakers Over the Top
Currently, it appears that the biggest obstacle in the Lakers way are the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets arguably have the best roster that we have ever seen in NBA history.
Their rotation consists of former stars like Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and LaMarcus Aldridge.
This is by far the deepest roster in the league.
The Nets roster pic.twitter.com/h7LGZ4uFNr
— Extra Points (@ExtraPointsPod) March 27, 2021
However, with the acquisition of Drummond, the Lakers will be able to attack the Nets’ greatest weakness.
That weakness being interior defense.
Center is still by far the weakest position on the Nets roster.
With a big three of James, Davis, and Drummond, the Lakers will be feared league wide around the rim.
Along with this, their defense with Drummond will be incredible.
The Los Angeles Lakers already rank second in the league in opponents points per game with 106.0.
It will be an interesting matchup if it comes down to the Nets and the Lakers, especially if the Nets use a small ball lineup.
If the Nets run a lineup that involves either Aldridge, Griffin, or even Durant at the center position, Drummond could be neutralized.
If Brooklyn decides to go with a lineup that features Jordan as their center, Drummond could be the X-factor that determines wins or loses the Finals.
NEXT: 2 Lakers Players Who Must Step Up In LeBron James' Absence