The Chicago Bulls have been hit hard by the injury bug this season. Zach LaVine missed significant time, as has Torrey Craig. Nikola Vucevic missed a few games, and the same can be said of Alex Caruso. Luckily, they seem to be getting healthy just before the trade deadline, and they’ve been playing well.
In LaVine’s extended absence, the Bulls have propelled themselves back into the race for the Play-In. Coby White and DeMar DeRozan have picked up the scoring, but perhaps the biggest surprise of the season has been the impressive play of veteran center Andre Drummond, who stepped into the starting lineup while Vucevic was out.
Despite having an old-school playstyle, Drummond made a huge impact on the game with his rebounding. Head coach Billy Donovan just recently praised the big man, noting that he doesn’t need to extend his range.
“I also think for him, the things that he does do are valuable on any team,” Donovan said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “If he can really rim protect, if he can rebound, and then be an elite roller to the basket, there is a place in the game for him. He doesn’t need to be a stretch-five.”
So far this season, Drummond is averaging 7.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.2% from the floor.
His rebounding has given the Bulls a huge boost with so many guys out, especially on the offensive boards. It’ll be interesting to see if he sticks around post-trade deadline.
