Andre Drummond to replace Kristaps Porzingis in the Skills Challenge on All Star weekend

Andre Drummond will be having himself a busy weekesd at All Star Weekend. The Pistons now All Star center will replace Kristaps Porzingis in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, according to David Aldridge of TNT.

This decision is likely to draw the ire of Philadelphia 76ers fans who will be angry about Ben Simmons once again being snubbed (when are they not mad?)

They can have their gripes about Kemba Walker being selected over Simmons as an All Star replacement, but all you have to do is think logically to realize why Andre Drummond was selected over Ben Simmons for the Skills Challenge. The new format for the Taco Bell Skills Challenge is a bigs vs. guards format and Ben Simmons has been the 76ers point guard this whole season despite being 6’10 and being drafted as a forward. Therefore, they needed a big to replace Kristaps Porzingis.

This may seem like a strange pick to the casual observer, but Andre Drummond has made significant improvements as a playmaker this season. He is averaging a career-high 3.8 assists and has always had a decent handle for a man of his size.

The last time Andre Drummond was an All Star in 2016, he participated in both the All Star game as well as the Dunk Contest. His performance in the Dunk Contest was a bit underwhelming, so hopefully he can shock the world and prove the doubters wrong by winning the Skills Challenge.