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The Philadelphia 76ers' decision to sign Andre Drummond was a curious one given his history with Joel Embiid. Drummond and Embiid had some notable squabbles in the past, making it seem like there was some real bad blood there.
However, Drummond says that couldn't be further from the truth:
Drummond on the past Embiid squabbles: “For me there was never any real beef…the way we play, sometimes we talk, i don’t think it goes any further than that…we’re on the same team now”
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) August 5, 2021
More Drummond: “I have no malice toward Joel and I’m excited to be on the same team as him and make this work.” https://t.co/RJMvCxa8qS
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) August 5, 2021
Drummond and Embiid were seen embracing earlier in the week at the Sixers' training facility, so it looks like they're ready to work together and try to help Philly win a title. Drummond is finally accepting a bench role and will be Embiid's backup in 2020-21. Knowing Embiid will likely miss some games, Drummond will surely get some opportunities to start.
Drummond has started all but one game in his career since he was primarily a bench player as a rookie on the Detroit Pistons. He went to the Los Angeles Lakers in part because he was promised a starting role on a title contender. The big man indeed started every game he played for the Lakers, but the fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was a bit awkward.
Once hoping to secure the bag as a free agent this offseason, Drummond had to swallow his pride and take a minimum deal as Embiid's backup. He'll be replacing Dwight Howard as the backup center in Philly. The Sixers have had issues in the past succeeding with Embiid on the bench, so the hope is Drummond can help mitigate some of those issues and give the MVP candidate more help.
