NBA: Who is the better young center, DeMarcus Cousins or Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond (white) and DeMarcus Cousins are battling for best center in the league.Two months into the NBA season, it is becoming clear that Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons is the best center in the Eastern Conference at the ripe age of 22.Meanwhile, in the Western Coference, DeMarcus Cousins is coming off of an All Star season and looking to cement himself as the NBA’s preeminent center in the Association.With Marc Gasol taking a small step back this season, Tim Duncan playing low minutes and slowing down ever so slightly, and Al Horford not quite able to provide elite production, Drummond and Cousins are poised to take ove the league at the center spot.Both of these players are physically imposing human beings, with Drummond standing 6’ 11” 280 pounds and Cousins standing 6’ 11” 270 pounds. They are very different players however, as Drummond is a high flier, able to out jump people for dunks and rebounds, but lacking in other skills such as post offense and free throw shooting.Cousins is much more ground bound, possessing elite quickness for his size allowing him to take bigs off the dribble or in the post, but sometimes struggling to express his emotions in the most positive ways. Let’s dive into a head to head breakdown of the two.
#1 Scoring
When it comes to scoring, Drummond and Cousins get the job done differently. Drummond works as the fulcrum to Stan Van Gundy’s spread pick and roll system, setting screens up at the top of the key, before diving to the rim and catching lob after lob from the Pistons guards.
He has slowly begun to work in some post touches, but still stands as a work in progress on the block, not yet comfortable with his moves or handling double teams when he sees them. Drummond also struggles shooting free throws, where he is at a league low of 36%. If Drummond can make even 55% of his free throws and clean up some of his post moves, he will be one to watch out for.
With Boogie Cousins, you have a player who can score from anywhere on the court, as evinced by him stretching out his shots to the three point line this season.
However, he is best when he catches the ball on the low block or in the midrange and faces up to drive on his man. He has seen his shooting percentage dip this season as he has expanded his range, but he is able to keep his scoring efficient by getting to the free throw line in droves and knocking down 74% of his shots there.