Nick Nurse Offers Update on 76ers Center Before Kings Game

What's the latest on Andre Drummond?
Jan 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Since late December, the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t been able to find consistency with the center position

With Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond both struggling to stay on the court as they deal with setbacks, the Sixers have been relying a lot on the veteran Guerschon Yabusele and the rookie second-rounder Adem Bona.

Embiid’s concerns have forced him to miss time throughout the entire season. Drummond, on the other hand, missed just three games before dealing with his toe sprain during the December 23 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

Drummond left that matchup against the Spurs after seeing the court for 20 minutes. He missed the following game in Golden State before returning against the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran center came off the bench for just eight minutes.

What's the latest on Andre Drummond?
Jan 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

After that game, Drummond missed six games in a row. For the January 18 game against the Indiana Pacers, he appeared on the court as a starter for 26 minutes. Although he missed the second night of a back-to-back, Drummond was back in action against the Denver Nuggets on January 21, seeing the court for 21 minutes.

At that point, it seemed everything was trending in the right direction for Drummond. It turned out that wasn’t the case.

Ahead of Wednesday’s matchup in South Philly between the Sixers and the Kings, head coach Nick Nurse offered an update on the veteran big man.

“It’s just not good,” said Nurse.

“It just seems to not be getting good enough. When we thought it’s been good enough, it’s been not really a re-injure, but it seems to have a pretty short shelf life because he feels good pregame, he’s pretty active, he’s moving around. He gets in the game, and then he’s just like, ‘Man, I can’t push off. I can’t do anything right now.’ “

Nurse confirmed that the setback took place during the 35-point loss in Denver. He adds that the medical team is trying to “do whatever they can” to get Drummond back on the floor consistently.

In the meantime, resting is all Drummond can do. After missing Wednesday’s game against Sacramento, Drummond sat out for his fourth game in a row. It was his 15th absence since December 23.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA