The Philadelphia 76ers have started the new campaign with back-to-back wins and look primed to enjoy a bounce-back season. Veteran center Andre Drummond recently credited an intense offseason as a major reason why the Sixers have surged to an early 2-0 record.
“This offseason has been hard for us,” Philadelphia center Andre Drummond told Tony Jones of The Athletic after the team’s 125-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. “We were scrimmaging without calling fouls. No calls. Guys were just out there, hooping. We’ve been sick of playing against each other. It’s been good to go out there and take some aggression out on other teams.”
The 32-year-old has averaged 3.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 9.5 minutes over the first two games of the 76ers’ season. Drummond has provided some relief for Philadelphia while the team attempts to get healthy and deal with Joel Embiid’s playing time restriction.
“I’m thrilled that he was able to play so well,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said of Drummond. “And now, I’m kind of wondering why I didn’t use him earlier. I knew that I would eventually have to use him again, because Joel was down to just a few minutes in the second half. I was trying to find some spark, and he gave it. All of a sudden, the rebounding got a lot easier. We got some extra possessions. He made some good contributions.”
The 76ers have also benefited from the play of rookie VJ Edgecombe. After dropping 34 points in the season-opener against the Boston Celtics, the 20-year-old posted 15 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in the win over Charlotte.
Philadelphia will look to build on its hot start when the Orlando Magic come to the City of Brotherly Love on Monday night.
