Andre Drummond Discusses Embiid's MVP Race, Belief in Paul Reed
Before he ever suited for the Philadelphia 76ers, two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond was the face of the Detroit Pistons franchise and a frequent on-court enemy of Joel Embiid.
From the first time the two played against each other in October of 2017, Embiid and Drummond engaged in high-energy battles, which always fueled Embiid as he found great two-way success against Drummond in those early matchups.
There was never any bad blood between Embiid and Drummond. Rather, competitive nature took over them when on the court playing against each other in the earlier days of their careers. And later on down the line, Drummond would join forces with Embiid in Philadelphia for half of the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Drummond’s stint with the Sixers lasted just 49 games. As Philly’s front office wanted to close the book on the drama-filled Ben Simmons saga, Drummond found himself packaged in the deal that shipped Simmons, Seth Curry, and himself off to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.
Once again, Drummond became a direct competitor of Embiid’s, playing for the Nets before inking a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls during the 2022 offseason.
While Embiid and Drummond no longer don the same threads, the Bulls’ big man has nothing but praise for the six-time All-Star, especially when it comes to the always-heated MVP debate.
“The NBA is a unique space,” Drummond explained ahead of his return to the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night. “I tend not to comment on those kinds of things because I don't want to be labeled as a guy that has those kinds of opinions. I just play the game and focus on what I focus on. What I can say is Joel is an MVP player. He should be the MVP. He deserves it. I’m praying he gets it and much success to him.”
For the last two seasons, Embiid was a finalist for the NBA’s MVP award. Both times, he was voted as the runner-up, losing out to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. While Embiid received tons of support from fellow NBA players last year, ultimately, the media makes the pick.
“I wish I could make the decision for the league,” Drummond continued. “I think he's an MVP player. I think he is the best big in the league right now, along Jokic. Hopefully, they make the right decision. Hopefully, he gets it. I’ll be happy for him.”
Not long before Drummond stated his case for Embiid, Chicago’s head coach Billy Donovan praised Embiid’s often-overlooked value on the defensive end of the floor.
Since the All-Star center was crowned the scoring champion last season and is on pace to do it again this year, Donovan seemed to believe Embiid’s dominance on the other side of the ball doesn’t always get the credit it deserves, and Drummond agrees with that notion.
“Everybody looks at him scoring 30 points a night and 11 rebounds a night, but no one talks about the two, three blocks he gets a game, too,” said Drummond. “I think him being a defensive presence and anchor for this team is something that should be spoken about more despite the vast amount of points he gets. I think his defensive presence is something that should have some light shedded on it.”
Will Embiid win MVP this season? Only time will tell. Once again, it’s a race between Jokic, Embiid, and Milwaukee Bucks star, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Deep down, Embiid might want to join the same club as those two, picking up an MVP accolade of his own for the first time, but the Sixers’ big man has mentioned several times in the recent past that he’s focused on the bigger picture. That was something Drummond also assumed on Monday night.
“I think his main focus is to win a championship right now,” Drummond said. “I think that's where his mind is — if he gets it, he gets it — but I think he wants to win the championship.”
Since Embiid started leading the Sixers to the playoffs, Philadelphia has struggled to get out of the second round. Several factors play into it, including injuries and a lack of toughness in big moments, but one notable area that’s always highlighted is Embiid’s backup.
Many players have tried to hold it down in the limited minutes Embiid’s off the floor in the playoffs. Nobody has really succeeded. Last year, former second-round pick Paul Reed stepped up for the challenge for the first time. He appeared in 12 games, averaging 12 minutes on the floor.
Reed put on a solid effort, but it didn’t win him the backup center position for the following season. Throughout the 2022-2023 run, Doc Rivers went back and forth between Reed and Montrezl Harrell. At this point in the year, it’s Reed’s job to lose. Drummond, a frequent supporter of Reed’s when he was in Philly, is happy to see the former DePaul standout get an opportunity to earn some consistent playing time.
“I was one of his biggest supporters whenever he went down to the G League to play,” Drummond explained. “I was always someone that was in his corner for his success. To see him have a little bit of success right now is good.”
“I think something that’s not talked about enough with Paul Reed is his love for the game,” the Bulls’ center added. “The kid is always in the gym, night in and night out. Before and after practices. He goes into the gym at nighttime at random a** times of the night. It’s to the point where the coach has to tell him to chill out; he needs a rest. Proud of everything he's done so far. I think he's coming into his own. He’s a high energy big that is someone good to play behind Joel.”
Since the Sixers returned from the All-Star break, Reed has appeared in all 14 games, averaging 12 minutes on the floor. During that time, he’s averaged five points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block. He’s a plus-2.9 on the court during the post-All-Star break stretch.
Reed’s leash likely remains short as the regular season winds down, and the playoffs approach. While his minutes in the postseason aren’t guaranteed this year, Reed still has supporters inside and even outside of the organization who believe that his work ethic will soon help him carve out a consistent role in the league.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
