The conventional wisdom is that for most players to stick in the NBA, they need one elite skill.
Andre Drummond has that — he’s an elite rebounder. He believes he’s the best rebounder ever, something Drummond said on ‘The Comfortable Pod. With that, Drummond makes his Hall of Fame case.
“I used to play 40-plus minutes. I was a star — All-Star, All-NBA, I’ve done it. Hall of Fame candidate, best rebounder ever… I’m the best ever. I’ve done great in my career. I think I have a chance to be a Hall of Fame player due to what I’ve done in my career. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m in the top 20 for being in the Hall of Fame, so I have a great chance.”
Drummond’s claim is not as ridiculous as some fans think.
For his career, Drummond’s total rebound percentage of 24.85 is the best ever — better than Dennis Rodman, Artis Gilmore, Reggie Evans, Rudy Gobert or any of the other great rebounders of the past 50 years. (To be fair, total rebound percentage — an estimate of the percent of rebounds a player grabs when he is on the court — is not available for players before 1970 because the statistics needed are not available.) Drummond’s 2018 26.23 total rebound percentage is the fifth-best single-season rebounding percentage of all time.
Drummond is one of the greatest rebounders the game has ever seen. That combined with solid defense and some efficient offensive seasons got him onto a couple of All-Star teams and an All-NBA nod in 2016.
Drummond’s career is undervalued, but Hall of Fame… I can’t get there. To me, Drummond is a classic example of how the game — and what is expected of NBA centers — has shifted in the past decade.
I would argue Drummond is the best rebounder of his generation. He led the league in rebounds four times, is a beast on the defensive glass and averaged 4.3 offensive rebounds a game for his career. However, for me, entry to the Hall of Fame needs to be more than that, it’s about a more rounded game, lifting up teammates, being one of the best players of a generation. Drummond has had an impressive career, I’m not sure he’s all those other things, however.
Drummond is free to make his case. It’s not ridiculous.