Andre Drummond Injury: What is the Lakers Star Suffering From and When Will He Return?

Champions Los Angeles Lakers made a signature signing in the buyout market this season as they signed center Andre Drummond. Multiple teams like the Nets and the Knicks also targeted the 6’10” center, but the 27-year-old opted to choose the Purple & Gold.

Given his massive presence in the paint and his mind-boggling rebounding skills, Drummond is expected to replace veteran center Marc Gasol as the starter for the team in the near future.

Andre Drummond suffers minor injury on Lakers’ debut

Drummond recently made his debut for the Lakers as the champions faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks. As expected, he replaced Gasol and was slotted in as the starting center for the team.

Despite being away from the game for one-and-a-half months, Drummond looked solid. In the first seven minutes he was on the floor, the Lakers were leading by 7 points.

But all of it changed when Bucks’ Brook Lopez stepped on the big man’s toe. Although Drummond shrugged it off initially, it was clear that he was in some discomfort, and it was apparent in his on-court performance as well.

In the 14 minutes he stayed on the court, the 27-year-old scored 4 points, shooting 2 of 6, with two assists and a single rebound. The 6’10” center hobbled off the court early in the third quarter and was listed out for the remainder of the game.

Lakers’ insider Mike Trudell later confirmed that Drummond had suffered from a toe contusion, but the subsequent X-Ray was clear, indicating that there was no major problem.

Drummond now joins Lakers’ lengthy injury list comprising LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

How long will Drummond be out?

While seeing Drummond hobbling might have been a scary moment for Lakers’ fans all around the world, given the severity of the injury, the team shouldn’t be worried about a possible long layoff.

Currently, the 2-time All-Star’s injury has been listed as a day-to-day injury which is due to be re-evaluated tomorrow. The champions will hope that Drummond recovers from the injury in a game or two.

With the number of defeats piling on, the Lakers are slipping further down the standings. If the 6’10” center can solidify their defensive woes and provide a threat in the paint, especially in the absence of Anthony Davis, the Lakers might still scrape into the top 6 of the Western Conference.

Drummond was away for the game for around six weeks. So, these regular season games will be crucial for him to get back to playing shape.