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Andre Drummond has officially joined the Los Angeles Lakers after deciding to sign with the team on Sunday. The two-time All-Star had been linked to the team for weeks and had been sitting out while the Cleveland Cavaliers decided what to do with him. He was finally bought out and free to choose where he wanted to play.
Despite having plenty of suitors, Drummond chose the Lakers. The center had a chance to speak with the media about he will fit in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and made his intentions clear.
“For me, I’m just here to help in any capacity,” Drummond said Monday, via Ryan Ward. “I’m not here to do anything besides win, so I think playing with those guys can really benefit my game. Be able to allow them to play their game and have a third person to cause havoc in the paint.”
Drummond is looking at things the right way. The Lakers don’t need him to be a superstar once LeBron and Davis return. They just need a center who can play some defense, grab rebounds and score. Drummond should be able to do all of that at a high level for Los Angeles.
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Drummond Believes Lakers Will Have ‘Crazy’ Defense
Out of all the things the Lakers have done well this season, it’s play defense. They have the best defensive rating in the NBA. They’ll now add Drummond to the mix, which should only help things. He believes that the Lakers will have an imposing defense once they get fully healthy.
“I think our defense is going to be really crazy when those guys come back and I’m looking forward to it,” Drummond said, via Ward.
Drummond isn’t as skilled a defender as Marc Gasol but he’s stronger and more athletic. The Lakers really needed to add some size and athleticism to their frontcourt. They definitely were able to find some. Though Drummond isn’t known as an elite defender, head coach Frank Vogel is great at developing players on that end of the floor. He should have his best defensive season under the coach.
Drummond ‘Hungry’ for Playoff Success
Drummond has now been in the NBA for nine seasons but hasn’t seen a lot of success in terms of winning. He’s only been to the playoffs once and his team was swept both times. He’s now going to the defending champions and the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA. The Lakers’ success was a big reason why he chose to go to the team.
“For me personally just having that playoff experience, but not that success, it’s something I was hungry for,” Drummond said.
This is an ideal situation for Drummond to be in. He’s not one of the team’s two best players and the pressure for him to perform will be relatively low once Davis and LeBron get healthy. Even if he just adds a little bit of help, it will be a good experience for both sides. If he ends up being a big reason why the Lakers win a championship in a few months, then he’ll be set up very nicely heading into free agency this offseason.
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