Andre Drummond, Pistons
The Pistons have already been at the center of trade rumors thanks to Reggie Jackson, and that makes sense. Jackson has struggled. Even when he plays well, it often comes at the expense of the team's rhythm. But all of this is secondary if the Pistons actually want to fix anything. The problem is Drummond.
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John Schuhmann
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Andre Drummond gets dusted by Sacramento bigs on consecutive possessions. SVG immediately sits him down.
Think about the Pistons. Good talent on paper, rising steadily through the East, but then plateauing for reasons that aren't totally clear.
That trajectory mirrors Drummond, not Reggie Jackson. Drummond's defense has never gotten much better than league-average among centers, and his offense has stagnated just the same. The Pistons best player can't play the end of games, and isn't always engaged on defense. People expected the Pistons to improve for lots of reasons, but the optimism was always rooted in the assumption that Van Gundy would turn Drummond into a monster, and that's not happening. Basketball fans don't need to see Stan Van Gundy waste two more seasons trying to make this work.
The market for centers is tricky across the league, but Drummond is still young enough to sell teams on his potential, and he's signed through 2020. If the Pistons admit this experiment is failing before it actually bottoms out, they can market Drummond as a double-double machine that just doesn't click with Van Gundy. If the problems continue for another 18 months, that marketing job will a lot be tougher. The dream scenario? Drummond, Stanley Johnson, and a 2018 first-round pick to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins, who might average 40 playing under Van Gundy. All in favor, please say: Motor City Boogie.
