Andre Drummond may be known for being quiet, but when he speaks out it can often be direct. Such was his response upon being shunted out of starting lineup by short-handed Chicago Bulls.

Drummond recorded 24 points and 25 rebounds in the Bulls’ 118-113 win against the Hawks at United Center – his first 20-20 performance since April – while also becoming only the sixth NBA player ever to record both eight rebounds and six steals simultaneously in 14 minutes of game action.

The Bulls may have struggled early on this season, but Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta Hawks gave them an opportunity to start winning again – and Andre Drummond played an integral part. His presence alone kept the Hawks at bay.

Drummond was most noteworthy for his attitude; he’s made no secret of his desire to become a starter again even if that means playing as Nikola Vucevic’s backup. Since joining the Bulls before 2022 season started he’s only made 113 appearances – starting only once!

Drummond has recently found himself sitting out games while coach Billy Donovan tinkers with groupings for his second unit, leaving him only playing single-digit minutes in three out of his last five outings – and less than 17 per game average over their initial month together.

Although allotted only limited minutes, Drummond continues to showcase his skill on both ends of the floor since joining the Bulls as free agent in February. Over his past two weeks with Chicago he is averaging 6.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game in 13.8 minutes per game – evidence that he has become even more efficient since joining them.

At some point in December, Vucevic could find himself back into starting roles, especially with Chicago on a three-game losing streak and his knee injury still bothering him. But that remains far from certain.

On Saturday, the Bulls will attempt to end their losing streak against Cleveland Cavaliers with a home game against center Justin Anderson who missed two contests due to a foot injury. While it has been an uneven start for them this season, they still possess enough pieces that could potentially take them far in the playoffs race if Vucevic can return soon and allow both offense and defense to operate normally again – ensuring they remain an exciting opponent down the stretch.