Andre Drummond Suddenly Given a Huge Test to Begin Knicks Tenure

As training camp draws closer, the New York Knicks appear all-in on Andre Drummond as their primary center depth. However, the veteran has some flaws that make him not exactly a guarantee to be a smash hit, which would create a huge issue if he doesn't pan out as planned.

Luckily for the Knicks, the NBA is giving them a premium opportunity to assess their new center at the beginning of the year. On Tuesday, it was announced that New York will play its season opener against the 76ers, followed by a date with the Boston Celtics. That's a matchup with a star-led frontcourt in Philly, then a chance to face Boston's revamped big rotation, which poached away the player Drummond is replacing, Mitchell Robinson.

While they're only the first two of an 82-game season, they're also going to help shed valuable light on what Drummond is really bringing to the table.

Knicks will get a good idea right away this season on Andre Drummond and center situation

Though Drummond brings a steady, proven hand with strong offensive rebounding, he's far from a sure thing to work out in the Big Apple. There's a chance his advancing age (just turned 33) starts to heavily diminish his play, or his recent availability issues pop up again, or he doesn't produce as hoped in Robinson's absence.

The Knicks' offseason activity hints at Drummond being more of a fallback option, or even one who may not be their true backup come playoff time. After all, New York has been linked to several trade targets or attempted deals and tried to sign Moussa Cissé away from the Mavericks weeks after initially inking Drummond.

With these efforts failing, there's a very good possibility the team will be forced to lean on Drummond at first and settle for a more developmental third-string big. That, then, allows Drummond's capabilities to be tested from the get-go with Philly and Boston on the opening slate.

Against the 76ers, Drummond would ideally use his inside knowledge of Philadelphia—given he just spent last season with them—to make an impact in his first game as a Knick. Something Robinson provided was the confidence that he could physically match up with Joel Embiid, so Drummond putting up a somewhat similar fight would be a promising sign that New York made the right decision.

Right after, the Knicks will measure Drummond against two younger bigs, Robinson and Neemias Queta. Both are fiends on the glass, so it'll be pretty clear if the theory that Drummond can mostly replicate the rebounding advantage Robinson gave New York on the second unit is true.

Given that Drummond will have a hyper-specialized role focusing on rebounding and defending, the stage is set for him to do well. But there are also scenarios where he doesn't turn heads in these first two games, with his older legs and own weaknesses holding him back against some strong big-man matchups.

Although that'd be an unfortunate reality, the Knicks also need these kinds of answers throughout the season to ensure they've maximized their roster for a title defense. Maybe Drummond does get exposed to start the year, but that's a preferred option to gaining false confidence in him from easier opponents.

The ability to immediately challenge Drummond and see early on how strong its center depth actually is makes these games such a blessing in disguise for New York. These clashes could bring about some ugly truths, but then Leon Rose can kick center trade efforts into high gear and ensure he lands an upgrade with months to work with.

The ideal scenario is that Drummond hits the ground running, then the Knicks can focus on depth behind him rather than feeling like center is still a need despite bringing in the accomplished veteran. That'd allow the team to hold onto trade assets and address needs that inevitably pop up at other positions as the year goes on.

However, should Drummond slip in his appearances, the frontcourt will feel like an even bigger issue that needs to be covered up. At the very least, New York will have a better idea of which side of the coin it's facing with Drummond taking on some talented bigs in his first days.

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