Drummond excited for return from left shoulder injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Don't ask Andre Drummond how he returned to the Chicago Bulls' Oct. 28 loss to the San Antonio Spurs after spraining his left shoulder in the third quarter.
"That was pure adrenalin," he said Wednesday of finishing his 17-point, 14-rebound performance that night after taking a hard fall on a Zach Collins shooting foul. "But I felt it right after the game was over."
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Felt it to the point, Drummond noted, that he for a time could not lift his left arm above his head or move it sideways, rendering it stationary. Since the injury, he has missed the Bulls' last six games and is officially listed as probable for Wednesday's home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
But after a period of rest, rehab, and finally, scrimmaging 4-on-4 after Wednesday morning shootaround, he expects to return for the contest.
"Felt good," Drummond said of that scrimmage. "That was my first time playing since the injury. That was a good bump for me, so I'm gonna try it out tonight, see how I feel."
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Drummond has a durable track record, so sitting even this many contests was a challenge for him. In seven of his 10 NBA seasons, he has appeared in at least 73 games.
"It's a long time. If anybody knows, I don't miss too many games in my career, so six games in a row is a lot for me," he said. "Was getting very antsy at home, especially watching. Was working diligently, working hard to get back. So I'm excited to be back there tonight."
The Bulls should be excited too. Drummond was incredibly productive in his first six games with the team, averaging nine points, 10.2 rebounds and one steal in just 16.8 minutes per game. In his stead, head coach Billy Donovan rolled out a small-ball frontcourt behind Nikola Vučević, headlined by Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr.
But in New Orleans enters a team that starts Zion Williamson and Jonas Valančiūnas, and brings Larry Nance Jr. off the bench. The Pelicans, as of this writing, rank fourth in the NBA in offensive rebound rate (and third in total rebound rate) while slotting first and seventh in points in the paint and second chance points, respectively.
Even if in a limited capacity, that is where Drummond can help.
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