Andre Drummond is excited to start playing with Anthony Davis

In 2012, the New Orleans Hornets drafted Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Eight picks later, the Detroit Pistons drafted Andre Drummond. Now, in just a few days, they’re expected to form one of the most formidable frontcourt pairings in the league on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis and Drummond have technically been teammates for almost a month, but they have yet to share the court together because Davis has been sidelined with a calf strain since Feb. 16. Davis hasn’t been cleared to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but he’s on track to make his return then.

Drummond’s not exactly sure what to expect when he and Davis take the floor together for the first time, but he’s excited about the potential of their pairing.

“You know what, I have no idea,” Drummond said of his expectations. “But I’m looking forward to being on the same court as him. I played with AD for many years with USA Basketball, so the experience is there. I’m looking forward to being back on the court with him again. I think he should be back very soon, so I’m very excited to start that bond together on the court.”

The amount of time they spend together will be limited initially because Davis will be on a minutes restriction of around 15 minutes per game when he’s back in the lineup, but once he is fully reintegrated back into the rotation, Frank Vogel will have to quickly figure out how Drummond fits with Davis, not the other way around. The same will be true when LeBron James returns to the starting lineup.

That’s a situation Drummond has never been in before, but it’s one that he’s willing to adapt to.

“My role here is a lot different than previous teams I’ve been on,” Drummond said. “Me being on Cleveland and Detroit, they looked for me to be the main guy to score points and do other intangible things. While I’m here, I’m looking to make the team good on both ends of the court.

“Whatever they need me to do, I’m trying to get the job done,” Drummond continued. “Defensively we’re starting to get it together, offensively I’m starting to find the shots that I normally take. Now it’s just getting my legs under me. I was out for the past month and a half, so now I’m trying to get my game legs together, so a few more games and I’ll be fine. AD and LeBron are coming back soon, and that chemistry will start to build up more.”

Davis’ status will be updated before the Lakers and Mavericks tip-off at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the starting lineups will be released around the same time. We’ll find out then if Drummond and Davis will get the make their eagerly anticipated debut as a frontcourt pairing then.

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