I've seen Bam, Jokic, and Kat start the break and get the ball ahead effectively but they are all better passers and ball handlers than Drummond by a lot.
Watching that video, Drummond dribbles with the palm of his hand A LOT. His ability to move is great, but his touch is not good, and his feel is not good. His quickness and dribble drive should really only be used from the block, which I have seen him use effectively.
I've rewatched some of his games with us, and he is just wild. I hope it was just not being familiar with the team. It's frustrating because he is super talented and durable. I still want TT on the team because I think he is the only guy with the cache and record to keep Drummond in line. Like pulling Drumond for Bell could meltdown the locker room, but putting TT in to finish the game is legit, and it is hard to argue a guy who dropped 30 on you and out rebounded you doesn't deserve it. He has a ring too.
I honestly think Drummond has the potential to help our guards a lot and to cover for Klove defensively. The problem is his head, and he was treated in the early part of his career as a superstar in Detroit before he had actually done any winning.
He's 27 and he is immature. He needs someone to be strict with him, and I think TT is the only guy capable of that. We really need a guy like Haslem or Perk to get his head right, but I am not sure he will listen. I see Drummond career arc going a little like Zach Randolph. A guy who is obviously talented but cannot play within himself. Touted as a super talent right away, but taking until the end of his career to realize what his game is and how to use it. He really needs to think about the trade package that nabbed him every day and needs to realize it wasn't his shooting or ballhandling that caused that.
All of the above is a relatively new development. When Drummond came into the league he was the furthest thing from a superstar. He was taken 9th in the draft, and he seldom played. He worked hard and became a blue collar, lunch pale kind of player who specialized in rebounding. For the first 6 years of his career, he almost never handled the ball or took a 3 point shot. In fact, he shot more 3 pointers last year than he did his entire first 6 seasons.
I agree, that his desire for another big contract is altering the way he is playing. He sees guys like Blake Griffin get big paydays because they have developed handles and shoot 3 point shots. But Griffin never helped the Pistons win either.
The other issue is that the league suddenly transitioned away from big, low post centers into shorter quicker wiry centers like Bam or centers who can put the ball on the floor and shoot 3 pointers like AD, Jokic and Embiid. Drummond has obviously taken notice.
Everyone keeps mentioning Tristan Thompson, and I agree that that would be a good player for Drummond to model his career after. But let's not kid ourselves, Thompson never really got paid for his hard work. TT's biggest contract was the one he just completed, which paid him $82 million over 5 years, or about $16 million a year. That' s not a lot of money be todays NBA standards.
"Thanks for all your hard work and help with the championship Tristan. Please close the door on your way out." The NBA is a tough business.
And yes, Drummond is immature. He has the mentality of an 8 year old. He was hurt very deeply when he was left off of All Star teams, even though he led the league in rebounding for years, and when he was unceremoniously dumped by the Pistons for a bag of basketballs because the Pistons have to pay Griffin's insane salary.
But he seems to have taken to the Cavs, and clearly would like the stay. And he would likely help the team if he stays. It's up to Altman to negotiate a new contract, and Bickerstaff to best integrate him into the Cavs rotation.