Getty Andre Drummond indicated he will be back on the court for the Lakers soon.
Andre Drummond’s debut with the Los Angeles Lakers did not go as planned but the team’s new starting center appears to be in good spirits. After his short Lakers debut, Drummond revealed his toenail was ripped off early in the team’s loss to the Bucks. Drummond took to Instagram to express his excitement to finally be in Los Angeles and indicated his toe injury does not appear to be a long-term concern.
“Not the way I pictured my @lakers debut but felt incredible wearing the purple and gold!!” Drummond said on Instagram. “Be back soon 💜💛.”
Drummond also posted a similar message on Twitter. After weeks of rumors, Drummond signed with the Lakers once he received a buyout from the Cavaliers.
“Well I lost a toe nail but still felt incredible wearing the purple and gold!!” Drummond tweeted. “Be back soon @Lakers.”
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Drummond May Only Miss 1-2 Games With His Toe Injury
We know that Drummond will miss at least one game as the center was ruled out against the Kings. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski reported there is “optimism” about Drummond’s injury, and he will potentially not miss more than two games.
“There is optimism within the Los Angeles Lakers organization that newly acquired center Andre Drummond will not miss more than a game or two with the right big toe injury he suffered in his debut for the team, sources told ESPN,” McMenamin and Wojnarowski detailed. “The nine-year veteran was officially diagnosed with a bruised toe, and X-rays taken at the arena came back negative, according to the team.”
Drummond had four points, two assists, one rebound and a block in 14 minutes against the Bucks. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel still sounded optimistic about what he saw from Drummond in limited action.
“You see the physical presence that he brings,” Vogel said, per Lakers Nation. “The athleticism blocking shots at the rim, striping the basketball with his quick hands, and the ability to move his feet and contain while taking the big-shoulder contact and staying in there. He’s definitely going to help us on that side of the ball and we saw some [of] it tonight.”
The Lakers Indicated They Want to Keep Drummond Beyond This Season
Drummond will be a free agent this offseason, but the Lakers indicated they would like to keep the center for the long-term. It will be an uphill battle for the Lakers as they do not have Drummond’s Bird Rights, and the center is expected to command a bigger payday elsewhere. Vogel noted the Lakers will do what they can to keep their new center.
“Well, that’s certainly what we’re hopeful for [to keep Drummond],” Vogel explained during a recent press conference. “This summer will play out and we’ll let that happen when it happens. We want him to help us during this championship run this season, but we’re hopeful that he’s a Laker for a long time to come. That’s what we’re envisioning. We think he’s going to be a key piece for us both in the short-term and the long-term.”
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