The Los Angeles Lakers’ 101-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets gave LA (still without superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis) a 4-3 record to end a seven-game road trip, but something was missing. center.
Andre Drummond, who retired from the market last month, scored just four points in a two-on-two shot on Tuesday against the Hornets. Tonight, a night after the 6-10 center, 279 pounds, he scored just three points in a loss to the New York Knicks.
“Offensively, this is probably the worst I’ve played in my career,” Drummond said after Tuesday’s game. “I’m still trying to figure it out here. I don’t allow it to take me out of my game. I know why I’m here, which is to help this defensive team. Offensively, it will come for me.”
Back-to-back scored the second fewest points Drummond has scored in a two-game period in which he has played at least 20 minutes in each game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He scored four points in a two-game period from November 10-12, 2014.
This scoring mess made Drummond’s average drop to just 10.5 points per game since joining LA. He has a professional mark of 14.6 points per game in nine seasons and scored 17.5 points per night in 25 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers before being released.
Drummond reasoned that the eventual returns of James and Davis will allow him to settle into the role he should play for the current champions.
“I think for us as a team, we’ll find a way to do that when the boys come back healthy,” he said. “Because you have to think, we play with five different ones every night when we step on the court. So you can’t expect us to have a lot of chemistry when we don’t know who we’re playing with each and every night. So we’re hanging up our hat on defense and allowing that this projects us towards a victory “.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel agreed and noted that the two Los Angeles players are not missing. They are two of the best in the game.
“Well, I think having LeBron out there will contribute and AD, two of the elite players,” Vogel said, alluding to the 10.9 combined assists the pair averaged this season before the his injuries.
Vogel also cited the Knicks and Hornets’ defensive schemes, intended to remove touches of paint. Los Angeles high school Montrezl Harrell, averaging 14.4 points a season, was also neutralized in the back-to-back, scoring just six points in both games.
“The last two nights have been tough challenges,” Vogel said. “We met a very stingy defense against whom we played last night who intended not to let us publish in front and not let our seniors receive any touch of publication and tonight they have played in the area the whole game , you know what I mean? area to take the place to pack it and take players like Trezz and Drummond.
“We just have to take what the defense gives us, which was a lot of perimeter shots, a lot of driving and kicking situations and it didn’t turn out Drum had a high point.”
Kyle Kuzma offered an additional perspective, believing that Drummond is just going through the learning process of joining a title-playing team, compared to the teams he played for in the past.
“I mean, it’s just a process, man. It won’t happen overnight. Rome wasn’t built overnight,” Kuzma said. “I think for him it’s a great fit. When you think about it, he’s never really been trained in his career: in Detroit, in Cleveland, and then he comes to a championship organization, it’s hard. It’s hard.”
Kuzma said Drummond has been a quick study talking when he has a question and immersing himself in the challenge.
“It’s a huge difference [between] when you’re playing basketball and winning basketball, “Kuzma said.” He has handled it well and it is a period of adjustment and I think that once the two big dogs return, it will be much easier for him because it will be much simpler. And you’ll see some important impact games for him along the way. “