For the past few weeks, the Chicago Bulls have been one of the more intriguing stories in basketball. Following an ugly start, they’ve managed to turn things around in a big way, surging back into the Play-In Tournament race. And in their most recent win, big man Andre Drummond took center stage.
With Nikola Vucevic out (dealing with a groin strain that could keep him out for over a week), Drummond earned a place in the starting lineup against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. He finished the game with an absurd 25 rebounds, which is the most since Ben Wallace had 27 in 2006 and the second-most since 1988.
After the performance, Drummond gave some insight into the mindset he constantly plays with.
“My mentality is that I’m not a backup,” Drummond said via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I still believe I’m a starter in this league. But the position I’m in now, I take it and play it to the best of my ability.”
When asked about what allows him to dominate the glass, Drummond pointed toward his relentless determination.
“I just want it more,” Drummond said. “I go after each and every one of them. If I can’t get it, I still make the attempt. Sometimes they fall my way and sometimes they don’t. But the more times I go, the more times I’ll get it.”
With Drummond in the starting lineup, the Bulls should get a huge boost in the rebounding department, and based on their showing against the Hawks, it went pretty well.
