Philadelphia 76ers: There’s no need to bring back Andre Drummond

Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t look now, but Andre Drummond is hinting at a return to the Philadelphia 76ers with a very intriguing post on Instagram.

… or maybe he’s just a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, which, considering they have 1.8 million followers on Twitter, wouldn’t be too outlandish.

… or maybe he just owns a hat.

Anyway, any time Drummond does/says/posts something that is even remotely Philadelphia adjacent, it draws plenty of interesting reactions online, largely because many a fan didn’t want to see Daryl Morey trade the “Big Penguin” in the first place, even in a deal for James Harden. They call Drum the best backup Joel Embiid has ever had, laud his very fun playmaking abilities, and lament his loss and ultimately wasted season playing for the Brooklyn Nets last fall.

Would it be fun to see Drummond back in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform? Sure, but frankly, his return would be an unnecessary luxury even on a veteran minimum contract, as Daryl Morey has already assembled a strong platoon of backup bigs who can fill the same role.

The Philadelphia 76ers need to prioritize getting minutes to Paul Reed and Charles Bassey.

Theoretically, a trio of Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, and Charles Bassey should be the best center rotation in the NBA.

Now granted, when any team gets 30 or so minutes of action a night from Joel Embiid, their center rotation is going to be pretty darn good, as he is very much the best basketball player in the world, but even behind him, Bassey and Reed provide very interesting optionality, as the duo can play the same role in very different ways.

Reed is a classic example of a small-ball five much in the same vein as Golden State Warriors big Kevin Looney. He can switch on defense, get up for a lob, and play alongside other centers if need be, even if his offensive limitations could limit the usefulness of such a look.

And as for Bassey? Well, you might as well call him Andre Drummond Jr., as he has a relatively similar game, albeit with a better 3-point shot and fewer trick passes. Measuring in at 6-foot-11, 235 pounds, Bassey can hold his own defensively against the bigger centers still kicking it in the NBA when Embiid needs a break, which isn’t always the case with Reed, who, at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, can get bullied up on by bigger foes.

Why bring back a player like Drummond to play 18 minutes per game when Bassey can play a similar role against bigger centers and Reed may actually be a better matchup against small-ball centers?

Answer: Daryl Morey shouldn’t.

Andre Drummond was one of the feel-good stories of the 2021-22 NBA season for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was a fun, funny performer during the doldrums of the Ben Simmons trade saga and will remain a fan favorite forever as a result. Fortunately, that fan favorite status should hold regardless of whether he plays another game in a red, white, and blue uniform again – barring a decision to sign with the Celtics/Heat/Bucks, of course. So really, everyone wins if a reunion doesn’t take place this summer, especially Paul Reed and Charles Bassey, who will be the direct beneficiaries of the available minutes behind Joel Embiid.