With a new head coach comes a new playing style, and two-time NBA All-Star Andre Drummond is preparing for the upcoming season by working to add 3-point shooting to his offensive arsenal.
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“I don’t do stuff (on the court) just to have fun,” Drummond told theScore at Team USA minicamp. “If I’m taking those shots, (it’s because) I’m working on it for the upcoming season. Those are shots that I’m gonna be taking.
“I make at least 200 corner 3s every day before I leave the gym. I’m getting them up. I’m getting the same shot up over and over again, so I’m getting more comfortable with it. It’s been great so far.”
Should he be focused on this aspect of his game? NBA.com’s Scott Rafferty recently outlined how his shooting would be beneficial for Detroit’s offense.
While the idea makes sense in theory, Drummond’s history of having a poor shooting touch (career free throw shooting percentage of 42.1) greatly decreases the likelihood of him actually developing a respectable 3-point shot.
Even if Drummond became an average shooter from long range, it would make up for some of the spacing issues that have prevented the Pistons from being a decent offensive team in the past.
The first full season of the Drummond-Griffin experiment will be markedly different than last season’s 25-game sample. If Griffin, who made 1.9 3-pointers per game last year, and Drummond can both be effective from the perimeter, the Pistons may very well reach new heights and return to the playoffs.
Most of Drummond’s 3-point attempts have been heaves at the end of quarters or with the shot clock winding down, too. There aren’t many examples of him taking an in-rhythm 3-pointer in a Pistons uniform.
But that’s one big “if” considering Drummond’s lack of experience outside of the paint.
