Dec 21, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (1) during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at The Palace. Pistons won 100-68. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Night by passing on Drummond at #8 to select Ross. The Pistons recovered from their astonishment in time to quickly choose Drummond next, leaving us Raps fans to wonder whether Colangelo’s choice was brilliant contrarianism or severe misjudgement.

Since we’re just past the season’s quarter-pole, let’s check on the young men’s progress. Here are the raw stats:

Setting aside the anomalies (Andre is NOT a better 3-point shooter than Terrence – he’s tried two and made one) and funky extrapolations (Andre ranks third in the NBA in offensive rebounds per 48 minutes), we can see that the two players’ stats are surprising close.  Even their ugliest stat is the same: free throw percentage. Andre, a huge man who plays close to the basket, has much better rebounding numbers and a higher field goal percentage, both of which are to be expected when comparing a power forward to a shooting guard.

Where they really differ is their usage patterns. Andre’s MPG [above] is a true reflection of how he’s been used all season. Terrence, by contrast, has seen his minutes increase dramatically. He has played 21+ minutes in five of his last eight games, compared to one game like that in his first eight. Injuries to Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, Linas Kleiza and Alan Anderson have forced Coach Casey to trust his gifted rookie, and Ross has seized his opportunity by providing many steady minutes (including a few highly exciting ones).

Neither will be anywhere near the top of the voting for Rookie of the Year, as that award will go to Portland’s precocious guard Damian Lillard, barring an earthquake or serious injury. However, neither Ross nor Drummond is a disappointment to their teams, and both are making solid progress in their professional careers. We’ll check in with them later in the season.

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.

Andre Drummond (1) vs. Raps. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

A Loyal Reader gets a hat-tip for sending me a note about his concerns following the second Raps-Pistons pre-season game. He was impressed with the play of the Pistons’ Andre Drummond, and dismayed at the prominent invisibility of Terrence Ross. Drummond was selected as the next player after Ross in this summer’s draft – did the Raptors pick the right guy? I propose to compare in progress the rookie seasons of these young men. I’m going to post my thoughts after 22 games, after 45, and at season’s end. If we’re lucky, these two will both stand out, and we’ll be adding Rookie of the Year speculation to the posts.

Let’s set the stage properly. Prior to the start of last year’s college season, several draft gurus had Drummond ahead of Anthony Davis as the #1 overall (Ross was never in that conversation). Many teams reputedly stepped away from considering Drummond because of his…um… susceptibility towards a serious affliction known to basketball people as knucklehead-itis. Dwane Casey fell in love with Ross’s scoring prowess at his pre-draft workout, and given Coach’s aversion to perceived troublemakers (cf., Johnson, James & Bayless, Jerryd) it was no surprise the Raps passed on Drummond.

Given that Ross is a mid-sized, outside shooting wing player, and Drummond is a giant rim-protecting centre, I might be accused of comparing apples & trucks. I don’t agree, largely because we can brush lightly over raw statistics & consider each player’s impact on his team, his MPG, whether his coach and the fans have been won over by hustle & charisma, analysts’ comments, & the like.

As of this writing, Drummond would appear to be ahead of our man by some distance. Andre already has a double-double (19 & 10 against Bucks – no cheapie) under his belt in preseason, and the buzz is growing. Terrence has been beset by nagging problems like a sore knee and “flu-like symptoms” and has been held out of several games. Can Terrence catch up? Will Andre let early success go to his head?  We’ll be watching.

In closing, if you like this idea, let me know who else (Austin Rivers?) we might try this informal comparison with.

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.