Can Andre Drummond be the X-Factor for this team repeating as champions?
After being bought out of his major contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers reached an agreement with Andre Drummond. With Marc Gasol not being the player the Lakers had hoped he would be when they signed him prior to the start of the season, Drummond has now stepped into the starting center role for the Lakers and has been solid in his brief stint with them.
Through 5 games in the purple and gold, Andre Drummond has averaged 9.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and has shot 45% from the floor. The biggest problem with Drummond right now is that he has been dealing with a toe injury and he is averaging 4 personal fouls per game with the Lakers.
For him to be the effective player the Lakers need him to be, he will need to stay out of foul trouble, but when both LeBron James and Anthony Davis do eventually return to the court, Andre Drummond can absolutely be the X-Factor for the Lakers.
What many people tend to forget is that not too long ago, Andre Drummond has made two All-Star appearances and led the league in rebounding in four different years. Prior to joining the Lakers, Drummond was a double-double machine with the Cavaliers, posting 20 double-doubles in 25 games with Cleveland.
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If he can have this kind of production with the Lakers and if they are able to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis fully healthy for their playoff run, it is going to be really hard to stop this Lakers team from reaching the NBA Finals again because of all of the weapons they have.
With the second-chance opportunities Drummond will provide and all the depth that key guys like Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell will provide, the Lakers will have the defensive tenacity and high-level scoring they need to potentially win back-to-back titles. Getting healthy is obviously the #1 priority of this team right now, but getting Drummond acclimated to their system and up to full speed is just as important.
