It’s one thing when opposition strategy to foul Andre Drummond results in missed free throws and squandered Pistons possessions. It’s another when it spills over into other areas of his game and results in deficits to overcome and Pistons losses.
After Houston ventured into the theater of the absurd last week, fouling Drummond 13 times in the first three minutes of the third quarter in a game the Pistons won despite Drummond setting an NBA record with 23 missed foul shots, he played back-to-back subpar games as the Pistons split at Denver and Utah. Drummond produced a mere combined 11 points and 14 rebounds in those games and shot 1 of 14 at the line.
Before Roundball One touched down back home, Stan Van Gundy had a message for him: Focus on the things you do well and don’t get caught up in the one thing you’re struggling to do.
“I was out of it,” Drummond said after a 25-point, 18-rebound performance – in which he hit 7 of 12 at the line, including two with 2:37 to play and the Pistons nursing a five-point lead – allowed the Pistons to survive both their lowest-scoring first quarter (12) of the season and another atrocious defensive quarter, Philadelphia’s 34-point third, in the 110-97 win.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself with the free throws and it took me out of my game. We came home, I took some time to just think and not focus so much on them but just play hard and try to help my team win and then the free throws will come.”
“It was good to see him play well,” said Reggie Jackson, who scored 27 and was clutch in the fourth quarter with 10 points and no turnovers. “He’s an All-Star in this league and I think we all know that. He’s been playing great; just hasn’t had the best last two games. Most importantly, was great to see him knock down those free throws.”
And just as good to see Jackson hit 4 of 5 from the 3-point arc for the game while his teammates were going 1 of 16. Three-point shooting was supposed to be the weak link in Jackson’s arsenal, but he’s above the league average for the season at .361 from the arc. His triple from the corner with 6:20 to play gave the Pistons the lead for good and his bomb with 1:33 left to put them up 10 was the effective clincher.
The first one was set up off a heads-up play by Stanley Johnson, the rookie who earned the third star with 18 points – two off his season high – in 32 minutes. Johnson played more in part because he played well, but mostly because Ersan Ilyasova and Anthony Tolliver struggled with the quickness and athleticism of Jerami Grant, who scored a career-high 21 points for Philadelphia.
“I thought it was best for us to go small and it helped that Stanley was playing as well as he was,” Van Gundy said. “He played really, really well. One of the best plays of the night, still at a crucial time, he came off a handoff, they trapped him, made a great pass to Reggie in the corner for a three. That’s just a great play by a young guy, to have the presence the first time he gets trapped on the night to not panic, not cough it up, find the open man – and the guy who has been shooting the ball by far the best for us makes it even better and a three that was huge.”
“He’s growing up right in front of our eyes,” Jackson said. “Forty-plus games in, you see him get better night in and night out, get better possession after possession. He’s not afraid of the moment, so he came in, stepped up for us, played big. Plus 16 – the best plus/minus on the team tonight. He went out there and really had an effect on the game.”
Aron Baynes was another who gave the Pistons a boost off the bench with a loud 12 minutes: 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Add up the production the Pistons got from their two centers, Baynes and Drummond: 37 points, 22 rebounds, three assists, four steals and a blocked shot.
Baynes’ minutes have crept up in January, in part because Drummond’s minutes have been cut due to his shaky foul shooting (.277 through 12 January games entering Wednesday). But also because Baynes has played so well it’s an easier call for Van Gundy to sit Drummond when teams put him at the line early and often. Baynes is averaging 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes a game, up about four minutes a game through his average coming into January.
The Pistons would be just fine if Baynes’ minutes scaled back down to that territory, too – it would mean Drummond was playing at the level that figures to make him an easy call when the NBA Eastern All-Star reserves are named Thursday night.
“He played with much better energy tonight,” Van Gundy said. “Sort of back to himself. You’re going to go 7 for 12, you want to go ahead and foul a guy at 7 of 12, we’re in good shape there. That kind of points per possessions translates into good offense.”
Drummond was so good in the first half, he’s already made the spectacular seen routine for his 19-year-old teammate.
“When he has 20 and 20, I don’t even notice any more,” Johnson said. “Maybe 30 and 30 I would be impressed. Maybe 30 and 30.”