Cavs: 2 bold predictions for Andre Drummond, assuming he’s back

Bold prediction #2 for Drummond for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020-21: He averages 2.1 steals per game

The second bold prediction I have for Drummond for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020-21 would be him averaging 2.1 steals per game.

Now, with Detroit last season, Drummond averaged 2.0 steals per outing, and going into the hiatus, Drummond was second in total steals in the league, per Basketball Reference.

Clearly, Drummond, especially for a center, does a terrific job at getting his hands in passing lanes and has great rotating instincts. That could help out Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and others next season, and maybe beyond, coupled with Drummond being a legitimate rim protecting presence.

This suggested 2.1 steals per game seems a bit rich, though, and that’s why a key goal I have from Drummond for next season, or at least part of that goal, is him averaging 1.5 steals in 2020-21.

Again it was only eight games so Drummond could be more in-tune and play off others better/be more active in terms of takeaways next season, but on the Cavs, he averaged 1.5 steals per outing.

Next year, Collin Sexton and Nance, along with Porter, will be getting their hands on steals a fair amount, and in terms of the team sense, Cleveland also is going to be playing its share of young pieces again next season, so there will be missed rotations/mix-ups.

Additionally, while Drummond is a good interior defender that is really active on the interior, he is not a player that’s able to switch out in pick-and-roll often.

That could play into him getting a bit less burn and frankly, that along with him not being a floor spacer could eventually lead to Cleveland looking to trade him by the 2021 deadline, if he picks up his player option.

Either way, though, this second bold prediction could play out, but it seems particularly lofty. Albeit, maybe Dre can do it and he establishes himself on both ends as being a key piece for the long term on the Cavs.