Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond cares about winning, not stats -- though his are impressive

LOS ANGELES -- Andre Drummond sat in front of his locker with his head down.

It had been 40 minutes because the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, and Drummond was the final 1 left in the visiting locker area at Staples Center, which had promptly cleared out with all the group staying in Los Angeles for the night.

Drummond, however, was in no rush to leave -- even right after Pistons owner Tom Gores appeared and gave him a hug, then instructed any one within earshot to behave in Hollywood. Drummond smiled politely but did not move though gear managers cleaned up around his 6-foot-11, 279-pound frame.

"I wanted to acquire in shape early," Drummond stated. "I also wanted to perform on my back-to-the-basket game and absolutely free throws. I just wanted to have mentally and physically prepared for any lengthy, grueling season. It begins nbamtcoin.com with me, and I wanted to be ready."

It hasn't taken extended for the rest from the league to take notice of Drummond, who averaged a lot more than 13 points and 13 rebounds per game more than the past two seasons. While no cost throws stay a weakness (he is shooting 40.three % in the line, truly a slight improvement more than last season), Drummond leads the league in rebounding, points in the paint, second-chance points and double-doubles.

"He is taking his game to a complete new stratosphere," Kobe Bryant stated Sunday soon after Drummond registered 17 points and 17 rebounds inside the Pistons' 97-85 loss towards the Lakers. "I told him ahead of the game just to keep going. It's awesome. I feel like you've accomplished a superb job if you are getting 17 rebounds. That is crazy."

Lakers coach Byron Scott NBA 2k16 coins likened Drummond to "a far more athletic Moses Malone," even though Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Drummond appears like Van Gundy's next wonderful center, following in the footsteps of Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard.

As productive as that experience was, the Pistons' winless four-game trip by way of California soon after their 5-1 start off NBA 2k16 MT showed Drummond how much room for growth there's for the team.

"We have seven new guys, so it's going to become a developing process, but I feel we're starting to come about," he mentioned. "We've lost the final four games, but it's not a thing we will need to hang our heads about. We've to acquire ready for our next game. We'll get there."