Andre Drummond should feast on boards

The new-look 76ers will host the Bucks on Wednesday night in both teams' season opener in Philadelphia, but two of their stars will be wearing street clothes.

Joel Embiid and Paul George will both be sidelined with knee issues, opening up an opportunity for Philly's supporting cast to get first cracks in the 2024-25 NBA season.

A 76er in particular should put up big numbers in Embiid's absence.

Andre Drummond, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract to return to Philadelphia in the offseason as Embiid's backup center, will be added to the 76ers' starting lineup.

It's been more than half a decade since Drummond made All-Star teams with the Detroit Pistons, but on the court he remains one of – if not the best – rebounders in basketball.

The veteran big man's rebound total for Wednesday's game is at 14.5 at most major sportsbooks, which sounds high but is a number that Drummond has easily overcome in the starting lineup.

In his last two seasons with the Bulls, Drummond averaged 18.9 rebounds per 36 minutes, well ahead of all NBA players who played at least 2,000 minutes on four full boards during that period.

In 10 starts with Chicago last season, Drummond fell short of 15 rebounds just once.

The 76ers are extremely small behind Embiid and Drummond – 6-foot-10 Caleb Martin will start at power forward – leaving the only truly healthy big man on the roster plenty of rebounding opportunities.

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The Bucks also boast one of the largest frontcourts in basketball – a combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez often share the court together – meaning Drummond's size will be needed in big minutes.

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to take advantage of Drummond's rebounding abilities.

The Game: Andre Drummond Over 14.5 rebounds (+100, BetRivers)

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He is particularly knowledgeable about the big three – MLB, NFL and NBA.