Heading into the 2016-17 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons were coming off their first playoff appearance in seven years and were viewed as one of the teams on the rise in the Eastern Conference.

However, things transpired in the opposite direction over the last year with the Pistons missing the playoffs entirely while trade rumors were a much more prominent topic around the organization rather than the play of the team.

During a recent interview with the Associated Press, former All-Star center Andre Drummond admitted as much while including that his individual play on the court also didn't meet up to his standards:

“I wasn’t playing up to my potential,” he said. “I can’t allow that to happen again.”

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Drummond experienced a bit of decline in his production this past season, seeing his scoring output drop nearly three points from 16.2 to 13.6 while grabbing one rebound less per game from 14.8 to 13.8. He also saw a significant drop in the number of double-doubles recorded from 66 to 49.

These are still largely consistent numbers from the 23-year-old, but it remained quite noticeable from the year prior where he earned his first All-Star Game selection. On top of that, his play also contributed to the Pistons' sudden willingness to include him in trade offers for the first time in his career that he admitted affected him.

That said, next season provides him with the opportunity to bounce back in a major way while proving to the Pistons that he can be the face of the franchise moving forward.