Lakers: Andre Drummond takes shot at Frank Vogel over playing time

Los Angeles Lakers center Andre Drummond took a shot at head coach Frank Vogel over his playing time.

Andre Drummond evidently feels he was underestimated and underused during his limited stint as a Los Angeles Laker. The free-agent center shared his thoughts on social media on Tuesday, suggesting he hasn’t been challenged enough or given enough minutes to shine like fellow bigs Brook Lopez and Deandre Ayton, who are set to play in the NBA Finals tonight.

Drummond’s initial Instagram post read “Don’t judge me until you know me. Don’t underestimate me until you challenge me. And don’t talk about me until you’ve talked to me.”

In the replies, a fan wrote they wished Drummond would dominate in the paint like Lopez and Ayton, to which the two-time NBA All-Star responded “tell y’all coach play me more and I could.”

Lakers: Andre Drummond wants more playing time

Drummond did see his minutes drop off somewhat during his 21 regular-season games in Los Angeles after being bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 24.8 minutes, 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, all the lowest since his rookie season back in 2012-13. His minutes and production dipped even further during five games of playoff action this spring. Drummond was among a laundry list of Lakers who didn’t meet expectations during the playoffs.

Whether Drummond would have performed better with more time or lost minutes because he wasn’t performing well enough is debatable, but Drummond clearly thinks it’s the former. That said, taking public shots at a head coach might not be his best move as an unrestricted free agent. It’s understandable for players to want a bigger role, but burning bridges in the process is not advisable.