I read a comment recently on DBB stating that perhaps Andre Drummond wasn’t currently a top 50 NBA player. I didn’t feel too strongly one way or the other about it. Instead, I just thought how it could be fun to make a list of the top 50 NBA players currently in the league — and I won’t analyze the list right now, but could later on.
Also as Andre Drummond is indeed the Pistons’ franchise player, it should be important for us to know, as of early January 2017, which spot does he check in at? Is Andre Drummond actually a top 50 player in the NBA?
The answer, of course, doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things right now. Andre could be a top 50 player, or not. It's very debatable at this point. Nobody has the 100 percent correct answer. By now all Pistons fans would hope it is a shoo-in that, yes, Andre is a top 50 player and is in fact possibly a top 25 player. Instead, no. This isn’t a fantasy world (yet). We need patience, perhaps. And don't forget, that right now Andre is 23-years-old. He'll turn 24 in August.
Many DBB frequenters have differing opinions of Andre and have expressed them often. Fantastic. Keep going. Whether we are casual fans or hardcore fans, all it takes is watching a handful of games to realize that Andre has improved in some facets over the previous few seasons. And it wouldn't be wrong to say he has regressed (or stood still) in other facets. He has. Obviously numbers might not always back up the eye test in regards to his improvements or regressions, but it's fact that Andre is getting better (and more confident) at certain facets of the game: free-throws being one, footwork being another, just for short.
As for the confidence I mentioned -- it’s certainly an excellent thing if weathered with self-awareness. I, and most of the rest of us, believe Andre is still working on that self-awareness part. Though, let's be certain, having confidence is essential for taking the next step in achieving something you really want to achieve. Since Andre has expanded his game in certain ways, now finding consistency is the biggest obstacle. Though, does Andre have the focus? The drive? Well, we can ask all sorts of questions about these things for a long time. But we should continue along with that patience mindset for now.
Okay, back to the main question.
Is Andre Drummond a top 50 player in the NBA right now?
In an attempt to make this list perhaps more fun and clear, I set up tiers. So, as such, I tried hard to set these tiers as seemingly accurate (objectively) as I could. I’m biased, but not too biased I hope. Overall, the point is to have the top 50 presented (and debated) and to see where our Andre checks in at. And I know I got carried away with the almost Top 50 list. Note: the order the players appear within each individual tier is just random.
Tier 1 (five players)
LeBron James
James Harden
Anthony Davis
Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Tier 2 (six players)
Stephen Curry
DeMarcus Cousins
Klay Thompson
Kawhi Leonard
Damian Lillard
Paul George
Tier 3 (six players)
Giannis Antetokounmpo
DeAndre Jordan
Kyrie Irving
Carmelo Anthony
Marc Gasol
Draymond Green
Tier 4 (six players)
Chris Paul
Isaiah Thomas
DeMar DeRozan
Karl-Anthony Towns
Jimmy Butler
LaMarcus Aldridge
Tier 5 (six players)
Kemba Walker
Kristaps Porzingis
Paul Millsap
Al Horford
Blake Griffin
Joel Embiid
Tier 6 (six players)
Kevin Love
Gordon Hayward
Kyle Lowry
John Wall
Andrew Wiggins
Brook Lopez
Tier 7 (six players)
Mike Conley
Bradley Beal
C.J. McCollum
Avery Bradley
Hassan Whiteside
Serge Ibaka
Tier 8 (six players)
Rudy Gobert
Serge Ibaka *(I goofed, Ibaka made it twice. Sorry, Zach Lavine)
Jabari Parker
Andre Drummond
Dwyane Wade
Myles Turner
Tier 9 (three players)
Devin Booker
Chris Bosh (technically still in the league)
Khris Middleton
Close, or coming up quick to top 50 status:
Zach LaVine
Danilo Gallinari
Jrue Holiday
Nikola Jokic
Harrison Barnes
Dennis Schroder
D'Angelo Russell
Otto Porter
Tobias Harris
Julius Randle
Steven Adams
Clint Capela
Derrick Rose
Eric Bledsoe
Eric Gordon
Billy Hoyle
Chandler Parsons
Alright, that’s it. Got to actually cap it somewhere.
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Have at it, folks. Tell me why I'm crazy. Tell others why they are crazy. Tell crazy why it's crazy. Be friends. And, right, how about Andre Drummond in tier eight? Too high or too low? Just about right?