There is a real obsession with shooting three-pointers in the current NBA era which has also led to traditional big men stepping out beyond the arc. Despite being one of the most dominant players in the paint, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond is the latest player looking to expand his game. The 25-year-old has made just five threes in his six seasons in the NBA but he says he's worked on his outside shooting during the summer.
Moving with the times
The game is certainly changing and bigs are being expected to offer more than just the usual low-post play.
Drummond doesn't want to be left behind and is determined to move with the times but he admits he'll have to pick his moments.
"It's not something I'm going to just start jacking up randomly," Drummond said, per ESPN.
"They're going to be opportunity threes. [Casey] has given me the green light to shoot it, and if somebody backs up off me, I'm gonna shoot it."
The two-time All-Star averaged 15 points and a league-leading 16 rebounds last season but shot 0-of-11 from downtown.
Over the course of his career, he's 5-of-30 but he says he won't hesitate to let it fly if opponents leave him open.
"It's not something [where] I'm gonna just come down and [shoot] pull-up threes," Drummond said.
"If I'm contested, I'm not going to shoot the pull-up three. But if I'm wide open and someone backs up off me, I'm gonna shoot it."
The Pistons won't mind the big man stepping out and trying his luck from the perimeter every once in a while but they know his best work comes underneath the basket.
He's led the league in rebounding twice in the last three years and is a walking double-double.
Drummond improved his free-throw shooting to a career-high 60 percent last year which shows that his shooting is gradually getting better.
As long as he continues to be a dominant force on both ends of the floor and keeps putting up big numbers, there surely won't be any harm in trying his luck from three-point range more frequently as it could be a useful weapon for Detroit.
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