Who knew Andre Drummond still had it in him? The 30-year-old NBA veteran got the call for his first start of the season on Tuesday for the Chicago Bulls. After 98 games off the bench for the Bulls, Drummond finally got his shot in the starting lineup and did not disappoint.
Drummond dropped 24 points on 84.6% shooting and added 25 rebounds, becoming the first player since Charles Barkley in 1986 to hit those numbers in a game. Drummond played 39 minutes, helping the Bulls to a 118-113 victory.
Though he's served as a backup for the majority of his time with the Bulls, Drummond said postgame that he doesn’t have the mentality of a backup. He was asked if that makes it hard to be the backup to starter Nikola Vucevic, to which Drummond said “No, it's not hard to be a good teammate.”
Drummond said that he felt that being reciprocated tonight. He'll likely continue to fill in for Vucevic who is sidelined for at least a week with a groin strain. The Bulls probably won’t mind it considering the performance Drummond had on Tuesday.
Vucevic has been a solid and consistent player for the Bulls this season. He averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game across 31 games. He also has 17 double-doubles which only nine players in the NBA have more than this season.
Already without Zach LaVine, the Bulls will have to navigate into the new year without their starting center. It may not be all gloom and doom though as Andre Drummond stepped in seamlessly in his first start of the year.
What was once on the verge of a disaster season has turned around for the Bulls. Injuries can be a problem but Chicago has it covered for the moment.
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