Andre Drummond can’t remember a stretch of his NBA career where he has played so bad offensively, a sentiment he shared scoring just four points in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 101-93 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
“Offensively, this is probably the worst I’ve played in my career,” Drummond told reporters. “I’m still trying to figure it out here. I’m not allowing it to take me out of my game. I know why I’m here, which is to help this team defensively. Offensively, it will come for me.”
.@AndreDrummond talks post-game with @LakersReporter on finding the right defensive spots to be in down the stretch and continuing to gel with the #LakeShow more each game.
The four points on 2-for-7 shooting for Drummond comes just a night after he scored just three points in a loss to the Knicks. However, the two-time All-Star has shown his upside, with double-doubles in his first two full games with the Lakers, including a 20-point, 11-rebound performance against the Nets.
What Drummond thinks is holding him back is chemistry, with the Lakers having to shuffle their lineup due to a bevy of injuries.
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“I think for us as a team, we’re going to find a way to get it done when guys come back healthy,” Drummond said. “Because you got to think, we’re playing with a different five every night when we’re stepping on the court. So you can’t expect us to have much chemistry when we don’t know who we’re playing with each and every night. So we’re hanging our hat on defense and allowing that to project us to a win.”
Marc Gasol Rides the Pine for Lakers
GettyMarc Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Head coach Frank Vogel did not call Marc Gasol’s number against the Hornets, despite Drummond’s offensive struggles. The veteran big man has played a combined 11 minutes in the games he and Drummond have both been active for.
Vogel tossed in Gasol for five minutes during a loss against the Knicks, saying he was looking for a spark out of the Spaniard.
“All three of our centers have to stay ready,” Vogel said in his postgame press conference. “We were looking for a spark. We were getting beat pretty good down I think 13 or so. In the fourth quarter, you just look for a spark.”
While Gasol has looked sharp over the last month when given the opportunity, he has had his struggles this season. Gasol is averaging 5.1 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season, along with 1.2 blocks.
Andre Drummond Searching for New Nickname
On a lighter note, Drummond is also in search of a new nickname, looking to move on from “Big Penguin,” which he explained after the game.
“Listen man, I don’t know where that came from,” Drummond said, per Harrison Faigen of SB Nation. “Bron came up to me one day and said, ‘Yo, is your nickname Big Penguin?’ I said, man, I don’t know where that came from or how it started, or who came up with the name. All I know is that someone must have found out that penguins are one of my favorite animals and kind of put two and two together.”
Drummond said that he thinks a more aggressive nickname could do him well, although the kids can still call him Big Penguin.
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Lakers Big Man Andre Drummond Doesn’t Hold Back After Rough Game