Andre Drummond says simplifying his shooting mechanics and learning to avoid overthinking have been the keys to improving his free-throw efficiency after years of struggles at the line.
Speaking to the New York Post, the New York Knicks center explained that he changed his approach after repeatedly trying to adjust his technique in response to missed shots and outside advice.
“I simplified it and stopped listening to a bunch of people,” Drummond said. “Just shooting the same shot over and over again and not worrying about the results.”
Drummond admitted that frustration often made his problems worse. Rather than sticking with his routine after a miss, he would attempt to correct his mechanics, creating a cycle that affected his confidence and consistency.
“Sometimes, in the past, I would get frustrated if I miss, and I would try to overcorrect,” he said. “Then, it’s a domino effect and more and more misses, and then I’m frustrated and I’m out of whack.”
The veteran big man also explained that different coaches and teams had offered advice throughout his NBA career, sometimes leaving him with too many adjustments to consider during games.
“I feel like a lot of people have opinions about what a good free throw looks like, right? So over my career I’ve had different coaches and teams I played for that tried to help me adjust and make it easier for me,” Drummond said.
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The adjustment involved a change in form, but Drummond emphasized that the mental side of shooting was just as important. Repeating the same motion and accepting the outcome helped him avoid the chain reaction of frustration that previously followed missed free throws.
Drummond entered the NBA as the ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft and quickly established himself as an elite rebounder. Free-throw shooting, however, remained a significant weakness throughout his career.
He shot just 37.1% from the line as a rookie with the Detroit Pistons in 2012-13, followed by 41.8% in his second season. He eventually reached 60.5% in 2017-18, but his percentage fluctuated in subsequent years.
Across his first 14 NBA seasons, Drummond converted 48.9% of his free throws, according to the supplied career statistics. His struggles were particularly costly given his role as an interior player who regularly drew fouls.
In the 2025-26 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Drummond shot 63.1% from the line, making 0.8 free throws per game on 1.3 attempts. That was well above his career average, although his relatively low volume meant the percentage alone does not tell the entire story.
Drummond joined the Knicks on a fully guaranteed, one-year, $3.9 million minimum contract during the 2026 offseason. He is expected to provide backup-center minutes behind Karl-Anthony Towns following Mitchell Robinson’s departure to the Boston Celtics.
