Drummond a liability?
Andre Drummond may be one of the top players for the Detroit Pistons, but is he becoming a problem because of his free-throw shooting?
Drummond is having the best season of his 4-year career this year, averaging 17.1 points, 15.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game for the Pistons. His play has helped lead Detroit to a 24-21 record thus far, which ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference. However, recently Drummond’s major weakness has been exposed, his inability to shoot free throws. Just last week, the Houston Rockets forced Drummond to the free-throw line 36 times, where he made just 13. That allowed Houston to erase a double-digit lead, though Detroit still won. Since then, Drummond’s minutes have seen a decline, including crucial times in a loss to the Nuggets and a win over the Jazz.
On the season, Drummond is shooting just 51.7 percent from the charity stripe. He is averaging just under 14 attempts per game. In order to try and correct this, he has been practicing with a sleeve on his shooting arm. If this can’t be corrected, Stan Van Gundy will have some tough choices to make in close games, as teams will clearly target putting Drummond on the line.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Pistons are currently listed with 150/1 odds to win the NBA Finals. Tonight, the Pistons host the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30PM ET. The Pistons are listed as a 12.5-point favorite against Philly. Detroit has already won and covered against Philly this season, but the Pistons are just 3-5 ATS in their last 8 while Philly is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.
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