1. Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond was, without a doubt, the biggest surprise for the Chicago Bulls in the preseason. His sensational play completely transformed a second unit that was forced to trot out Tony Bradley and Tristan Thompson as its core reserves last year — the same Thompson who is currently unemployed and unwanted by any other NBA team.
With admittedly minimal expectations on his shoulders entering preseason, Drummond easily blew them away by averaging 8.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2 assists in just 16 minutes per game. His presence on the boards will make a massive difference for a Bulls roster that worst rebounding team in the league last season.
The Chicago Bulls were clearly attempting to address their rebounding woes when they went out and signed Drummond, but I don’t think anyone expected that they’d also be alleviating their lack of shooting on the bench. A career 13.2% shooter from beyond the arc, Drummond was more than happy to oblige and showcase his newfound shooting stroke for Chicago.
It’s might be a little unreasonable to expect Drummond to continue shooting the lights out during the regular season, but this is still concrete proof that he’s willing to re-imagine his game to maintain a place in today’s NBA.
Considering the Bulls managed to acquire Drummond at a price point just above the veteran’s minimum, he may end up becoming one of the biggest steals of 2022’s crop of free agents.