Much-improved Drummond still hasn't proved Embiid wrong

Andre Drummond's had Saturday circled on his calendar ever since Joel Embiid burned him about not playing defense in October.

Embiid dropped 30 points in that matchup to give the Philadelphia 76ers the victory, then said Drummond "doesn't play any defense." Word got back to Drummond, who promptly pointed to their rematch on Dec. 2.

That loss stands out as a rare blemish for the Detroit Pistons, who boast a sparkling 14-6 record near the quarter mark of the season. They can thank Drummond for helping them exceed expectations; the 24-year-old has slimmed down and learned to hit free throws, which has translated to the Pistons' ascension up the standings. Despite all his improvements, though, Embiid's knock about Drummond's defense is still accurate.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

First, the good news: Drummond's shooting his highest percentage from the field in four seasons, his assists have quadrupled, and his free-throw percentage has climbed to a respectable 63 percent following several embarrassing seasons in the 30s. He's earned more trust from Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy, and is logging the most minutes of his career while also being entrusted with a bigger load on offense.

Having the confidence to sink freebies has given Drummond new freedom on offense, as teams can no longer force him out of the game through the intentional foul strategy, and Drummond is no longer afraid to get fouled. As a consequence of all that, his fourth-quarter minutes have risen dramatically.

"We can run our pick-and-rolls and everything down the stretch," Pistons coach Van Gundy said. "It changes everything."

Drummond's always been capable of this type of performance, but now he's delivering on his potential - like when he dropped 26 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists on the league-leading Boston Celtics.

He's both outmuscling and outwitting opponents. The Pistons are running their offense through him at the elbow, and Drummond is picking out beautiful passes to cutters darting to the basket.

In particular, he's developed a beautiful two-man game with Avery Bradley. Drummond gets the the ball in the high post while Bradley either comes around a down screen to receive the handoff and darts to the hoop with Drummond rolling behind him, or flashes to the rim while Drummond finds him with a high-low feed.

(Photo courtesy: NBA.com)

Credit's due to Van Gundy for getting Drummond to operate at the elbow instead of running rudimentary post-ups that just never worked. Drummond loved to back his man down before launching a hook shot with his right, but he couldn't sink it consistently, freezing the whole offense. Though Drummond still indulges occasionally, his post-up possessions are down sharply from 4.1 to 1.7 per game.

He's also playing with more energy and endurance after dropping 30 pounds to duck under 300 this summer, in addition to surgically correcting a deviated septum to help his breathing. The 7-footer is grabbing 5.3 offensive rebounds per game and scoring five points every night on putbacks.

Drummond's revival has spawned the rebirth of the Pistons as a whole. The team's jumped from 25th to seventh in offensive efficiency, and he's the main reason for their tremendous start.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

On the other side of the ball, however, Drummond's game hasn't changed much. His effort is inconsistent and he loses focus too easily, which offsets his otherwise immense athletic advantages.

After dousing him in tough love last season, Van Gundy has taken the opposite (and uncharacteristic) approach of pumping up his star center at every turn, including cautiously complimenting his defense.

"Better. He's working harder, quicker on his calls. I think he's putting more into it, I think his defense has been better," Van Gundy said of Drummond in preseason.

The results beg to differ. Just like last season, the Pistons are significantly better on defense without Drummond. They're conceding 106.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, as compared to 97.5 when he sits. Detroit is better defensively when journeymen Eric Moreland or Anthony Tolliver are playing center instead, just as Aron Baynes was the superior choice in previous seasons.

Drummond's bad habits are evident on film, as SB Nation's Steve Hinson amply demonstrates. For someone with such a massive wingspan, Drummond has an awful tendency to not keep his hands up. He also gets caught ball-watching and wanders out of position in the pick-and-roll. These mistakes suggest a lack of focus and will more than they suggest a lack of ability, which must drive Van Gundy nuts.

Embiid picked up on those weaknesses in their first meeting this season. He nailed jumpers in Drummond's face and outflanked him when rolling to the basket. Embiid also stretched Drummond out to the perimeter and easily drove past him for dunks.

Van Gundy's pointed to DeAndre Jordan, who was once known as just a dunker, as someone for Drummond to emulate.

"The step, to me, for Andre is to do a little bit of what DeAndre Jordan does and dominate the game at the defensive end of the floor," Van Gundy told Keith Langlois of NBA.com this summer.

"Become that All-Defense type of guy. Because he's already a historically great rebounder and to add to that becoming a great defender and build his game from there and everything to be built around the basket - his pick and rolls, going to the rim, running the floor, all of that."

That's the next step for Drummond's development - and by extension, the next step for Detroit. He fixed his free throws, changed his body, expanded his game to the elbows, and remains as dominant as ever in the paint on offense. Now it's time to make use of his defensive talents. The Pistons could become a true postseason threat if he blossoms into a two-way player.

Shutting down Embiid on Saturday would be a nice start.