Chicago Bulls: Metrics show Drummond a better rebounder than Rodman

The Chicago Bulls defensive standout and Hall-of-Fame forward Dennis Rodman does have some comparable stats to that of Cleveland big man Andre Drummond.

Advanced metrics are a tricky thing in this day and age of the NBA when compared to how the game used to be played. The all-encompassing advanced stats are usually more proficient to breaking down a player’s game in the modern NBA, since the numbers are weighted toward how the game is played today compared to any of the past decades previous to the 2000’s. And this is where someone like the Chicago Bulls all-time greats Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, etc. can get lost in the conversation.

Rodman is an especially tricky case since the bulk of his per game production came in the way of defensive numbers and rebounds. In his NBA career, Rodman averaged just 7.3 points per game and 1.8 assists in the regular season. But he also averaged 13.1 rebounds per game in his career in the regular season, along with 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks.

That led to Rodman posting a career rebounding percentage of 23.4, a 0.9 defensive box plus/minus rating, 89.8 total win shares, and a 1.1 steal percentage and 1.2 block percentage. His 100 defensive rating was also pretty stellar given his role on teams like the Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

Among those advanced stats, obviously the most impressive of the bunch is the rebounding percentage for Rodman. On eight occasions, he had the NBA’s best total rebounding percentage. He added seven seasons of leading the NBA in offensive and then defensive rebounding percentage to that mark for his career too.

Rodman led the league in rebounds per game seven times, which nabbed him his seven career rebounding titles. But it was interesting that he never once led the NBA in offensive or defensive rebounds per game, despite getting seven rebounding titles.

In the playoffs, Rodman could be a real monster on the glass too. On four occasions, he led the league in total rebounding percentage in the playoffs. During the 1989 playoff run with the Pistons, Rodman posted a career-best defensive rebounding percentage at an astounding 32.8. He did match that mark in five different regular seasons while leading the entire NBA, but to do that in the playoffs is so much more difficult.

However, it is intriguing to see how a Hall-of-Famer and seven time rebounding champ like Rodman compares to the best rebounders in the modern NBA. The two names among modern NBA big men that come to mind amid the conversation of the best rebounders are the Cleveland Cavaliers recently acquired center Andre Drummond and Brooklyn Nets veteran center DeAndre Jordan

While sharing a frontcourt with the likes of former Pistons forward Greg Monroe and currently injured Detroit star big man Blake Griffin, Drummond was a true force to be reckoned with on the glass. During his run with the Cavaliers thus far, Drummond continued to be one of the most dominant big men on the glass in the modern NBA.

For the 599 career games he’s played in the regular season, Drummond averages 13.8 rebounds per game. But in the current season with the Cavaliers, Drummond averaged just shy of 16.0 boards per game. Of those, nearly a dozen came on the defensive glass.

This meant that Drummond would lead the NBA in all of the three major rebounding percentages, and in total in rebounds per game. He’s led the NBA in rebounds per game in each of the last three seasons, and in four of the last five. He even averaged a flat 16.0 rebounds per game during the 2017-18 season with the Pistons, where he also notched his second career All-Star selection.

In the same year where Drummond averaged a career-best 16.0 rebounds per game and got that second All-Star nod, he also didn’t lead the league in any of the major rebounding percentage categories. Jordan led the NBA in defensive and total rebounding percentage that season.

However, Drummond is pretty clearly trending in the right direction in terms of becoming one of the best rebounders the NBA has ever seen. He’s already leading the league in most of the major rebounding stat categories on a yearly basis, even after he was traded from one mediocre/bad Central Division team to another this season.

He is the active leader in offensive rebounding percentage, and actually leads Rodman among the all-time producers in the NBA and ABA history in total and defensive rebounding percentage. He is the active leader in rebounds per game, and ranks eighth in NBA/ABA history in that regard. A lot of NBA/ABA greats from yesteryear like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell fill out the top five in the all-time leaders in rebounds per game. A few of them averaged well over 20 rebounds per game for their careers.

Yet, the point that is proven here is that rebounding big men are still alive and well in the NBA today. A big man like Drummond serves his purpose, but hopefully will find a team that better utilize his skill set than that of the Cavaliers. The Pistons gave some hope to the development of Drummond at one point, but that hope since died out in recent years.

The advanced and per game metrics do show that Drummond is technically a better rebounder all-time than Rodman. But each had their purpose for their teams. Rodman did do it on the bigger stage and really fit into a niche role with an all-time great team in the process.