Doc Rivers Happy Andre Drummond is Resurging With Sixers, Nets

NBA veteran big man Andre Drummond established himself as a notable name during his time with the Detroit Pistons. After landing in Detroit as the ninth overall

NBA veteran big man Andre Drummond established himself as a notable name during his time with the Detroit Pistons. After landing in Detroit as the ninth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Drummond became a face of the franchise by year two.

Throughout his time in Detroit, Drummond earned some notable accolades. He led the league in rebounds-per-game in four different seasons. He also notched a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in 2016 and was a two-time All-Star in 2016 and 2018. 

Eventually, the Pistons cut the cord on Drummond, though. During the 2019-2020 season, Drummond was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After playing in just 33 games in Cleveland over the span of two seasons, Drummond and the Cavs reached a contract buyout.

At that point, it became unclear what was next for Drummond. The Los Angeles Lakers signed him in hopes that he could become their starting center, but his postseason progress didn't convince the Lakers he was the guy for the job. 

Although there was tons of uncertainty surrounding Drummond -- Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers hoped they could prove the veteran big man still has a lot of gas left in the tank as they signed him and brought him on to back up Joel Embiid.

In 49 games with the Sixers, Drummond averaged six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes. While he took a backseat to Embiid throughout the year, Drummond served the Sixers well in a role coming off the bench. 

Philadelphia couldn't keep Drummond, as he helped move the needle in a blockbuster that netted Philly James Harden, but Doc Rivers is happy to see the veteran big man resurge as a starter with the Brooklyn Nets. 

"I thought the league had given up on Drum a year ago," said Rivers, according to Ky Carlin of USA Today's Sixers Wire. "That's where you have a lot of pride as a coach, and as a staff, I thought we played Drum back to what we thought he was before he came here. Now, Drum's valuable again."

While Drummond's only played in nine games with the Nets so far, he's started every matchup and averages over 20 minutes on the court. During that time, Drummond has boosted his scoring by four points and picks up nine rebounds per game, averaging a double-double once again.

It's unclear what the future holds for Drummond, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season as his contract expires. But with his progress in Philadelphia and now Brooklyn, Rivers seems to believe that the former All-Star, who turns just 29 in August, is boosting his value once again.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.