Doc Rivers, Seth Curry Praise Andre Drummond Following Sixers Debut

Andre Drummond is expected to take a backseat to Joel Embiid this season. However, that doesn't mean the Sixers won't need the 28-year-old center to transform

Andre Drummond is expected to take a backseat to Joel Embiid this season. However, that doesn't mean the Sixers won't need the 28-year-old center to transform back into his vintage self this season.

As the Sixers are gunning for a title this year after coming off of a season where they notched to No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they need their bench to be almost as effective as their starting lineup.

So far, Drummond looks like the right guy for the job of backing up Embiid when he's not on the floor. Heading into Monday night's preseason opener versus the Toronto Raptors, the Sixers ruled Embiid out early.

As the big man is coming off of a knee injury in the playoffs last season and just practiced five out of six days to start the offseason, the Sixers figured they'd ease Embiid back into the mix. Therefore, he was out for Monday's game for resting purposes. That led Sixers head coach Doc Rivers to start Andre Drummond at center.

His Sixers debut couldn't have gone much better. Despite Philly falling short in Toronto and taking on a 123-107 loss, Drummond was one of the better players on the floor overall. During his 24-minute shift, the two-time All-Star led the Sixers in scoring with 19 points off of nine shots. He also drained seven of his eight shots from the free-throw line.

Following the game, Drummond shrugged off his performance. Considering the Sixers lost by a wide margin, the veteran center wasn't jumping at the opportunity to celebrate his performance in an exhibition loss. Despite his disappointment in the outcome of the game, Drummond received praise from his head coach and his teammate Seth Curry following the matchup.

"He did a good job on both ends," said Seth Curry. "He played with a lot of energy, a good pace. He created plays for other people and, obviously, was doing work down on the block and scoring the ball, so he did a great job for a great first impression. He's a veteran player, smart player, and he did a lot of good things."

Doc Rivers thought it was a positive sign to his big man earn four opportunities to visit the charity stripe. In addition to his free throw shooting, Rivers also enjoyed Drummond rolling to the basket and applying pressure on Toronto's defense. Although it wasn't all perfect, Rivers applauded his veteran center for his all-around performance.

"He was great," said Rivers. "Other than the turnovers. I thought he got tired. We weren't gonna play him after the half, and then we needed some minutes. You can tell he thought he was not playing, but we just didn't have enough guys."

When the Sixers re-visit the matchup against the Raptors on Thursday night in Philadelphia, they expect to have more depth at the center position. With Embiid resting and Charles Bassey not with the team on Monday, Drummond had to take on more minutes than expected. Fortunately, he'll likely play more of a typical backup center role in a few days when Rivers has more to work with.

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