Detroit Pistons 2013-14 player grades: Andre Drummond

In just his second season, Andre Drummond led the NBA in total rebounding percentage (22.3) while placing second in rebounds per game (13.2) and field-goal percentage (62.3). He tallied seven games with at least 20 rebounds, tying DeAndre Jordan for the league lead. (For context, Dwight Howard (5) and LaMarcus Aldridge (3) were the only other players to do that more than twice.) Oh, and he also dunked A LOT.

The only real knock on Drummond's game (aside from his free-throw shooting, which will likely be an adventure his entire career) is his defense, but considering he doesn't even turn 21 years old until August, there's plenty of reason to think he can improve. And let's not sell him short! Although he still has a lot to learn, he was still 10th in the NBA with 1.6 blocks per game and 4.0 block percentage, not to mention swiping 1.2 steals a game. With more experience and polish, Drummond simply doesn't have a ceiling.

Here's another number to consider: 3.92, as in the average grade on a four-point scale DBB's staff of writers gave Drummond based on his impressive season. On to the comments!

brgulker: Andre Drummond is the best young player the Pistons have had since Grant Hill. The next GM's task is to make sure Dre's story ends differently than Grant's. Yes, his defense needs improvement, but he has as many tools as anyone in the game, and he hasn't had a decent coach yet. The right defensive scheme will should ease the concerns of many. The absolute top priority for the new GM and his team is to put together a coaching staff and roster that complements Andre Drummond. His skill-set is that good, and his ceiling is that high.

revken: Drummond's defense is still a work in progress, but at age 20 we could not ask much more of him. He showed convincingly that his rookie production in limited minutes was not a fluke, but a sign of things to come.

Mike Payne: Can we stop the Dwight Howard comparisons yet? Andre just put Dwight in his rear-view.

Shinons*: The expectation for Drummond should have been for him to sustain last year's incredible rookie season with an increase in minutes. Not only did he do that, but he increased his per minute rebounding and scoring figures, his scoring efficiency, and turned the ball over even less. His defense could certainly use some improvement, but considering he's already on his third coach in his two-year career, it's hard to blame him for being lost at times. At the end of the day, some metrics rate him as a top 5 player in the league this season.

Sean_Corp: Drummond showed two things: 1. That last season wasn't a fluke 2. That he is still very young and very raw, particularly on the defensive end. But he cemented his status as one of the premier young players in the game and a player you should absolutely attempt to build your team around. 2013-14 was the birth of the Drummond Contender meme and I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot more of it.

In a season full of fantastic accomplishments, I'll just mention one stat. Only two players 20 or younger have ever averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds in a season -- Andre Drummond and Shaquille O'Neal. Good company to be in.

Now your thoughts.