Technically, Thursday's matchup with the Miami Heat was Andre Drummond's second appearance for the Los Angeles Lakers.

For all intents and purposes, though, the Finals rematch at AmericanAirlines Arena was Drummond's first full game with the defending champions (well, what's left of them).

The two-time All-Star was signed via buyout two Sundays ago and suited up the following Wednesday to bang with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Unfortunately, a Brook Lopez-induced torn toenail ended his bizarre evening after 14 minutes and kept him sidelined for the next four games.

But finally, in South Beach, the Lakers got a full dose of Dre. Playing without LeBron James (high ankle sprain), Anthony Davis (calf strain), Kyle Kuzma (calf strain), and Talen Horton-Tucker (one-game suspension), Drummond helped the short-handed Lakers hang tough with the Heat in a scrappy 110-104 loss.

“The guys that played did a hell of a job keeping the fight in this game,” said Drummond after the game.

 

Drummond looked noticeably less rusty than his maiden game for the Lakers. It helped that he was less bothered by the toe.

“It felt good,” said Drummond of his ailment. “A little sore but it's not going to hold me back.”

The 27-year-old big man was active from the get-go, and he showed his potential two-way impact. The Other AD shot 5-of-9 from the field and, encouragingly, 5-of-6 from the charity stripe (he'll need to make free throws to earn crunch time minutes).

“This being my first real game I played (for the Lakers), it felt good being out there,” said Drummond. “I'm still trying to figure guys out. I caught myself running into guys a few times.”

The four-time rebounding champion grabbed 12 boards and he looked more active around the rim than against the Bucks, which was his first appearance since February 12. He added two steals in 27 minutes.

“Drummond was great,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel in his postgame Zoom. “He competed, he does what he does, 15 and 12 in 26 minutes, four offensive boards, great screener, active hands defensively. Offensively, there's a lot to learn still within our system, both sides of our ball, learning our teammates. Good first full game.”

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope concurred with Vogel.

“He had a solid night. Great night,” said Caldwell-Pope, who bested Vogel's challenge to score a season-high 28 points. “Great post moves down there, he was rebounding the ball for us. Setting great screens. That’s Andre. He came out and he played to his abilities. He did what he’s supposed to do.”

Dennis Schroder also cited the effect of Drummond's presence.

“Big body, he’s helping us for sure to get extra possessions. I think screening-wise, wiping up the defender. He’s putting a lot of pressure on the rim,” said the fiery guard.

Schroder, who handed out a season-high 14 dimes on Thursday, is hoping to establish the same type of connection with Drummond as he shares with Montrezl Harrell.

“He’s just trying to get to know everybody,” said Schroder. “He’s going to be great for us. Me and him got to build good chemistry on and off the court. So when playoff comes, everybody is on the same page.”

Despite his unfamiliarity with the system, Drummond, who had three assists, showed off his dishing skills, too.

“He’s a great passer,” said Caldwell-Pope, who played with Dre with the Detroit Pistons. “Even in the post when you drop it down to him, he’s gonna draw attention…Before he even makes his move he’s looking for a cutter or a skip pass. And if it’s not there he’s going right into his move.”

 

Much of the Lakers' offense is predicated on passing out of the paint, whether it's from Schroder dribble-drives, LeBron or Davis drawing defenders, or Horton-Tucker slicing through the lane. Vogel said he and Drummond studied the Heat's tendency to crowd big men, and encouraged his center to look for the open man in those situations.

“It's one of the things that we ask of him: Is to make great decisions in the paint, because he’s going to draw a crowd,” said Vogel. “Particularly with the Miami Heat, they swarm the paint. He’s going to have to go quick and find a teammate, and he did a good job of that tonight.”

In general, Vogel deserves a ton of credit for the Lakers' recent form. Their decision-making and assist totals have improved since Vogel started prioritizing “offensive fundamentals” and “reading the defense” in practice and film study, and the continued strong defense and effort are telling.

But naturally, it wasn't all smooth for Drummond. He committed five fouls and was responsible for three of the Lakers' 22 turnovers—an issue that repeatedly plagues the team.

At one point, the 6'10 center ended up isolated on a Florida Key against Jimmy Butler, which Butler appropriately took umbrage with.

In the third quarter, Drummond found himself on the wrong end of a Victor Oladipo Top Shot.

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Regardless, Drummond, who has been consistently upbeat since joining the Lakers, shouted out LeBron, AD, and the locker room for the support as he learns the ropes. Earlier in the day, The King delivered a warning message once he and his Space Jam 2 co-star (opponent?) align with Drummond.

“It’s definitely a good feeling to have that level of respect from those guys, and the whole team,” said Drummond. “It’s a lot of fun for me to be here, I’m having a great time, I’m learning.”

Not surprisingly, Drummond remained jovial after the game, despite the loss, which he said “sucks.”

“He’s always happy and jumping around, joking, playing, but that’s Andre,” said Caldwell-Pope. “He’s a big kid. He likes to joke, have fun, like any one of us. Him just being new coming over just jumping right in and enjoying our company and being himself, that’s good.”

Drummond wasn't the only newcomer to get run in South Beach. The Lakers' second buyout addition, Ben McLemore, made his Purple and Gold debut. He played 17 minutes off the bench, scoring six points, four coming from the charity stripe.

The Lakers (32-20, no. 5 in the Western Conference) are now 4-6 without LeBron and Davis, and 1-1 on their five-game East Coast road trip. Next up: Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, followed by a Monday-Tuesday back-to-back against the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers have sorely missed LeBron James’ stats, but Drummond's arrival will surely help fill some of the holes.

Drummond has two major steps to his acclimation process: Ingratiating himself to the current group, then re-adjusting once LBJ and AD are back.

“I’m just taking it by stride right now,” said the former Connecticut standout. “I’m a smart basketball player. I don’t think it will take that long to get the engines running. I think it's gonna be fun. I think we're gonna be fine.”

Drummond also explained his simple reasoning for wearing #2 for his L.A. stint: “Anthony Davis has 3, and Kuz had 0. Those are my two favorite numbers, so I picked the middle.”

If Drummond plays as he did on Thursday, he'll help the Lakers steal a few wins. If he has this kind of impact once the stars return and, you know, he learns the plays—watch out.