Andre Drummond is likely Cavs’ third option for 2020-21, but that could change

Andre Drummond is seemingly the Cleveland Cavaliers’ third option heading into 2020-21, but we’ll see if that will last.

For now, it would appear that looking at the 2020-21 campaign, that Andre Drummond is the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ third option offensively, in the scoring sense. Drummond has previously emphasized that he fully intends to pick up his $28.8 million player option for next season, so he’ll be back.

Cleveland and Drummond have also reportedly both “shown interest” in a potential contract extension, of which could be signed in late October, but we’re a ways away from that possible outcome yet. Considering Drummond has only played eight games with the Cavs thus far, too, a long term deal involving Drummond would seem to be anything but a certainty at this point.

That said, Drummond is coming off averaging a career-best 17.7 points per game, of which was mostly involving the Detroit Pistons, but Drummond still put up 17.5 points per outing with Cleveland in his eight games post-trade deadline.

The novel coronavirus-induced hiatus and eventual end to Cleveland’s 2019-20 didn’t allow us to see much of Drummond with the Cavs.

At least for now though the league could reportedly have four Summer League-type games and some form of mini-camps for non-Orlando teams in Chicago, but we wouldn’t seemingly see players such as Drummond or Kevin Love in that sort of setting, anyway.

In any case, with the 2020-21 campaign in mind, for now, it is likely that Drummond, a formidable interior/low-post presence is the Cavs’ third option.

Although, Drummond as the third option could change as the season progresses for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While his start to his time with the Cavs was rocky, Drummond did seem to settle in to an extent with Cleveland, and he again is fresh off averaging 17.7 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting in 2019-20. With his interior presence on the low block and often as a rolling/diving threat, I see Drummond as likely the Cavs’ third option heading into next season, with Collin Sexton and Kevin Love as the one and two.

Drummond’s footwork on the interior has been much improved the past few seasons, and so has his touch on hook shots, push shots and he’ll get his share of free throws after drives following a quick jab or two. I also would expect to see Drummond, with his 6-foot-10, 279-pound interior presence, be who the Cavs often go to particularly early on in games to feasibly get other opposing 5’s in foul trouble.

However, the key issue with Drummond still is that while he is a very good screener on and off-ball, and again has gotten better as a low-post player, he is still a non-shooter outside of about eight feet.

That reasoning is why I’m still fairly skeptical of his fit long term with the Cavs, and Drummond is not too switchable in pick-and-roll coverage at the other end, albeit he is a really heady team defender that was actually second in the NBA in steals leading into the hiatus.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

As 2020-21 progresses for the Cavs, I could see Darius Garland moving more into a third option role if he can be more capable as a shooter off-the-bounce, which could end up being the case with him not having his college meniscus injury on his mind still. That was how it was in his rookie season, which likely impacted DG, per a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Granted, Garland will of course need to show more aggressiveness as a scorer next season, and he does still need to have a better shooting clip than just the 40.1 percent one he had as a rookie.

I’m in no way penciling in Garland as the Cavs’ potential third option as next progresses, though, but with Garland being a naturally gifted shooter that I believe will be better in that way next season, perhaps that could play out.

Another player that could end up being Cleveland’s third option could be Kevin Porter Jr., who showed plenty of flashes as a rookie bench contributor with 10.0 points per game, and with his handle, explosiveness and finishing prowess, is the Cavs’ best driving threat heading into 2020-21. KPJ placing in the 79th percentile on spot-ups last season, per Synergy Sports, was great to see and showed shooting promise, too.

Him in a potential third option role next season would likely be a result of Garland either moving to a bench role at some point with Porter at the starting 2 with Sexton at the de facto 1, or with Porter playing often at the starting 3 position over Cedi Osman, possibly.

With KPJ’s handle and ability to generate space, he could be that third scoring option more so, and perhaps alongside Love and Garland (if he started with him a bunch) could lead to more assisted production game-to-game, and Drummond, in turn, could be more of a fourth option.

In terms of the 2020 NBA Draft, while I have major concerns about both defensively and the first as a shooter, LaMelo Ball of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks and Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, of whom the Cavs are reportedly very high on, could be prospects that could maybe over time be that third option also.

That’d be as next season progresses for Cleveland, and in Ball’s case, more so from his handle/driving ability, whereas Edwards could be a key scorer factoring in his strength and if he can be more efficient on jumpers, but while the talent is there, I can’t say either will be efficient shooters.

What I’m getting at here is that while the Cavs likely know what they have in an interior scorer in Drummond heading into next season, he is still a non-threat outside of the paint, and I could see the likes of Garland, Porter or potentially another piece as Cleveland’s third option as 2020-21 progresses.

Given that Drummond has always struggled as free throw shooter, too, it’s tough to say exactly how much he and Love, who is limited defensively, will play together for now, which could play into Drummond having declining usage as the year wears on.

Perhaps we could see Drummond, if he is not extended, at some point traded by the 2021 deadline, too, if Cleveland drafts a big such as USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, though matching Drummond financially next season wouldn’t be a simple move.