The Los Angeles Lakers are looking forward to Andre Drummond’s return from the toe injury, allowing him to start building chemistry with new teammates before the start of the playoffs.
Drummond showed glimpses of potential in his debut, the 112-97 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, before the injury ruled him out for the rest of the night in the third quarter. Understandably, the 27-year-old center was way off his optimal shape considering he hadn’t played since mid-February and spent just a few days with L.A before the game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hopes that his relationship with Drummond will help the two-time All-Star settle in quicker. The guard shared the court with the center when – similarly to Markieff Morris — he played alongside the 6-foot-10 paint beast during his time with the Detroit Pistons a few years ago. “On court chemistry, it’s not there yet,” Caldwell-Pope said of Drummond.
“The one game we did play, we didn’t really get acquainted, I would say. But I know Dre, I played with him three years in Detroit and playing with him then was what was good, he’s a great great great big. Just him being added to the team is really gonna help us out when our other two guys are back, Bron and AD. So just adding him, it’s a positive. Our friendship is still there, it’s been there since Detroit. So it’s just easier to come up to him and talk to him, just get him acquainted to the ins and outs. So it’s good to have him over.”
X-rays revealed no bone fracture in Drummond’s toe, although the center lost his entire toenail following a clash with Bucks big man Brook Lopez. Nevertheless, he is expected to face a short layoff possibly missing just a couple of games.
Drummond: Caldwell-Pope, Morris made transition ‘very easy’
Drummond said Caldwell-Pope and Morris already helped him with the move to L.A. and the adjustments that followed. The center added he enjoyed playing alongside his two former teammates again on Wednesday. “Yeah, KCP and Markieff have made this transition very easy for me,” he said.
“From the moment I got here they showed me everything I needed to know, got all the film I needed to get to learn their schemes offensively and defensively. Being on the same court as them again is an incredible feeling.”
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