Chicago Bulls: Can Andre Drummond be a difference maker?

Through the first seven games of the 2022-23 season, the Chicago Bulls seem to have more questions than answers pertaining to their roster. What is going on, Zach LaVine? Should we be concerned about Patrick Williams’ lackluster production? Will Coby White be dealt before the trade deadline? For these questions, only time will tell. but the one question Chicago might have found an answer for is their backup center, thanks to the early dominance of Andre Drummond.

A last-minute free agency signing this offseason, Drummond’s role with the team seemed to be up in the air. After a great run with the Detroit Pistons that featured two All-Star appearances early in his career, he had spent the last few seasons bouncing around the league. Since 2020, Drummond has spent brief stints with the Cavaliers, Lakers, 76ers, and Nets. This path from franchise cornerstone to journeyman was abrupt and raised questions about how he fits in the modern NBA.

While it’s still early in the season, it appears that Drummond may have found a place on the right team in the end. So far with the Bulls, he has shown his value averaging 9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game through six appearances. These numbers become even more impressive when you take into consideration that he’s accomplished this in minimal playing time, only registering 16.8 minutes per game.

While this vanilla play style may have made Drummond less desirable to other teams, it is exactly what the Chicago Bulls have been looking for.

This type of production in such a limited role would be valuable to almost any team, but it’s even more important for a team that has been searching for center depth like the Bulls. Outside of Nikola Vucevic, Chicago didn’t have a  player in their regular rotation listed over 6’7. This made the Bulls one of the smaller teams in basketball and was especially problematic against teams with elite centers, such as the 76ers.

Between Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley Jr., the Bulls tried to get bigger bodies involved, but neither was able to provide enough value to warrant extended playing time.

In addition to filling a position of need, Drummond also has the perfect play style to complement a guy like Vucevic. Whereas Vucevic is a versatile scorer who can make shots from all three levels, Drummond is a bit more of a one-dimensional player who mostly plays inside the paint. While this vanilla play style may have made Drummond less desirable to other teams, it is exactly what the Bulls have been looking for.

A bigger guy who can play inside on both ends of the floor is something that has been missing from the team for years. With guys like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine on the roster, the team has enough scoring. The Bulls just need him to grab rebounds; fortunately for Drummond, that’s exactly what he does best.

In 2022, Drummond is a far cry from the inside force he was in his early days with Detroit. But by accepting a new role, he can revive his career. He’s still only 29 years old and has found a team in dire need of his skill set. If nothing else, Drummond brings needed depth and energy to the Chicago Bulls’ front court, and that may be just enough to keep him in the lineup.