The new-look Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday in search of their first home win in 2020. The two teams last met on January 14th in Los Angeles with Cleveland on the wrong side of a 128-103 final score.
Sunday night will be the Cavaliers debut for the newly acquired Andre Drummond and he could pay dividends fairly early. Although, there could be some issues with chemistry and communication. This will be the first game for Drummond with Cleveland and there is usually an adjustment period when a new player is added for any team.
The last time Cleveland and Los Angeles met, the Clippers absolutely dominated down low. Leading in the rebounding (58-48) and points in the paint (58-44) departments. Things could very well be different this time around. Drummond is a presence that could alter things in favor of Cleveland.
The Cavaliers being able to stagger the minutes of two of the best rebounders in the league could lead to Cleveland closing the gap when it comes to rebounding differential. Andre Drummond and Tristan Thompson are excellent at rebounding on both sides do the floor. In fact, they are two of the top three offensive rebounders in the league. Keeping possessions alive against a clearly superior team could help them keep this closer this time around.
Andre Drummond could help the performances of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. Having a prototypical big man can help the development of the Cavs young guards. The impact may not be immediate, but could appear sooner rather than later.
