I looked at the results of the last 13 games of the season after Drummond arrived. First - the wins....
1. Atlanta 127-105. The Cavs were +0 with Drummond on the floor. Off the floor they were +22.
2. Washington 113-108. AD committed 7 turnovers and the Cavs were -4 when he was on the floor, +9 when he was off.
3. Miami 125-119 (OT). -15 in 24 minutes with AD on the floor, +21 in 29 minutes with him off. Jimmy Butler did not play for Miami so let's not get too excited about this win.
4. Philly 108-94. AD did not play. Joel Embiid left with an injury after eight minutes.
5. Denver 104-102. AD did not play due to a calf strain.
6. San Antonio 132-129 (OT). AD had 28 pts, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks with a +18 in 33 minutes. This was the only Cavs win that he was in the positive, but it shows what a force he can be if used correctly. He dominated Spurs center Trey Lyles who was a -12.
Losses...
1. Clippers 92-133. AD's first game. He was a -22 in the worst Cavs home loss in franchise history.
2. Miami 105-124. AD was -25; the Cavs were +6 with him on the bench.
3. New Orleans 104-116. Drummond was out with the calf injury.
4. Indy 104-113. AD had a big game with 27/13/4 and 4 steals but was a -18. With him on the bench the Cavs were +9.
5. Utah 113-126. AD, Garland, and TT were out with injuries.
6. Boston 106-112. AD, Garland and TT were out but the Cavs still were competitive.
7. Chicago 103-108. AD was a -4 in 35 minutes with 6 turnovers and 5 fouls. This was the Cavs' last game. They probably win if AD doesn't turn the ball over six times, but the real problem was the small forwards. Cedi was -13 in 35 minutes and McKinnie was -14 in 23 minutes. TT and Garland were out.
Overall, Drummond was awesome in the OT win over San Antonio but was not a factor or was actually a small negative in the other three wins he played in. The win over the Spurs was the second to last game of the year so maybe it took a few games for Bickerstaff to figure out how to best utilize Dre. Or maybe he just matched up well against SA.
OTOH, in the next game (and last of the season) he had 21 points and 7 boards against Chicago but committed six turnovers in a five-point loss.
It would be a mistake to say that once we got Drummond we started winning 50% of the time. First, he only contributed positively to one win. Secondly, we got a couple of lucky wins when Jimmy Butler skipped the game and when Imbiid went out in the first quarter.
The Cavs definitely played better at the end, winning 6 of their last 12 despite injuries to TT and Garland - both starters. This year if Bickerstaff can figure out how to use Drummond effectively in addition to getting two first round picks (Windler and the #5) and improved play from Garland, Sexton, and Porter this team will be fun to watch.
Unfortunately, we know Dre can have a 27/13/4 game and we can still be -18 with him on the floor and lose by 9. Bickerstaff needs to figure out how to use this major talent while still outscoring the other team.
For starters he can reduce his turnovers. Guys like him should not handle the ball that much. One dribble, two at the max and put up the shot or kick it out to an open shooter. Dre spends too much time trying to back down his man and gets stripped by a guard or forward.