The Andre Drummond era in Cleveland got off to a rough start on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Clippers handed the Cavs their worst home loss in franchise history in Drummond's debut. The 133-92 loss marked the Cavs' 12th straight 'L' at Quicken Loans Arena and their 12th loss in their last 13 games. As a result, the Cavs are now sitting in sole possession of last place in the Eastern Conference at 13-40.
Following the nightmarish debut, Drummond explained how he addressed his new teammates and spoke about his expectations for the remainder of the season.
“I said, ‘I don’t care about the record. I don’t care about the scoreboard. I just care about did we get better today?‘” said Drummond, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Obviously we are not going to win every game the rest of the way, but our goal is to win some games. We’re not going to sit down and allow teams to blow us out. We are going to play to the best of our ability each and every night.’ My goal is to push these guys and keep them positive and just continue to work hard. We show no quit.”
“I think the team really just asked me to speak up,” said Drummond. “Whatever I see they tell me to say it. I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes or take anybody’s shine or anything like that. If someone asks a question, I do a really good job of responding back and giving my insight of what I think."
While the outcome certainly wasn't what anyone in the Cavs organization had hoped for, Drummond himself was solid, posting 19 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Up next for Cleveland is another home game on Wednesday night, as they host the Atlanta Hawks (15-39) before heading into the All Star break.