Should Detroit Pistons’ Mt. Rushmore Include Andre Drummond?

Andre Drummond was a thought, but he was left out.

Apr 9, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond (3) smiles as he sits on the bench during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It’s late August. The Detroit Pistons are still a month away from firing up training camp, along with the rest of the NBA.

There’s been so much looking into the future, but Bleacher Report decided to take a look back and consider the top four players for each team of the century.

Labeling every team’s Mt. Rushmore, BR’s Dan Favale and Grant Hughes likely had an easy time deciding on Detroit’s best five.

Chauncey Billups

Richard Hamilton

Tayshaun Prince

Ben Wallace

Should the List Include Andre Drummond?

That was a thought, along with the current Pistons star, Cade Cunningham, and Rasheed Wallace.

“Cases can be made for Rasheed Wallace and Andre Drummond and maybe even Cade Cunningham,” BR wrote. “They're just not strong enough.”

Drummond’s Pistons tenure didn’t end on a high note. And since his time with the organization didn’t include any real playoff success, it often helped NBA fans forget just how dominant he was in his strongest areas.

Coming out of UConn in 2012, Drummond was the Pistons’ ninth-overall pick. He played in 60 games as a rookie, averaging 21 minutes off the bench. By year two, Drummond was a full-time starter, averaging a double-double for the Pistons with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Although the NBA was starting to see its top centers become more versatile, Drummond was the traditional big. He embraced being a top board-getter and led the NBA in rebounds per game for four seasons.

During his eight seasons with the Pistons, Drummond was a two-time All-Star. Since his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2019-2020 season, Drummond went from being a full-time starter to becoming a role player coming off the bench.

A case can be made, but ultimately, Wallace is well-deserving of the five spot on Detroit’s century Mt. Rushmore. While you might have a hard time finding somebody to debate that in favor of Drummond, it certainly shouldn’t be seen as a knock for the current Sixers center.

While with the Pistons, Drummond broke several franchise records. He is No. 1 on the offensive rebounding leaderboard, ahead of names such as Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Wallace. He was chasing Laimbeer in total rebounds with 8,199, which ranks second in franchise history.

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