Backup big man Andre Drummond entered the United Center on Sunday with a gleaming smile as he walked the hallway to the locker room, passing out hugs along the way.
This time, however, Drummond was headed to the visitors’ locker room with the rest of the 76ers after spending the last two seasons with the Bulls. He signed a two-year contract with the 76ers as a free agent in the summer.
‘‘Beloved’’ is how Bulls coach Billy Donovan described Drummond. His point was validated by the fans who sat courtside before the game and cheered as Drummond went through his routine, including an off-the-glass alley-oop from teammate Paul George that ended his warmups.
It’s easy to understand why Donovan characterized Drummond the way he did. Drummond, a two-time All-Star with the Pistons early in his career, took a backseat to Nikola Vucevic when he joined the Bulls. He averaged 7.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in his two seasons in Chicago, and 76ers coach Nick Nurse is thrilled to have him.
‘‘The Andre Drummond experience is worth the price of admission,’’ Nurse said before the game.
Drummond is averaging eight points and 8.3 rebounds in about 20 minutes in his return to the 76ers. He also spent 49 games with them in 2021-22 before being dealt to the Nets at the trade deadline.
A key to unlocking Drummond’s effectiveness is ensuring he’s finding joy in the game.
‘‘He’s a great dude,’’ Nurse said, ‘‘the best dude to be around. Goes through some ups and downs. He’s in an up moment right now, which is great.
‘‘You have to kind of get him to enjoy it out there, right? He has a great personality. Sometimes I think the games get tough and not enjoyable. I just keep telling him, ‘Do your thing, man. Snap down every rebound just for the hell of it and see how many you could get in a row.’ ’’
Drummond finished with four points and seven rebounds in seven minutes in the first quarter. He didn’t see the floor again after starter Joel Embiid got going.
‘‘It’s always good being back in this building,’’ Drummond said.
Embiid, who scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Sunday, entered the day having played only four games this season.
After missing the 76ers’ first nine games — first because of a nagging injury to his left knee, then because of a suspension — Embiid made his season debut Nov. 12. He injured the knee last January, and the 76ers have been managing his playing time all season.
The 76ers are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference after a dismal start that featured two five-game losing streaks. Nurse attributed the disarray to their health issues.
‘‘Most of our team was put together to complement [Embiid and George],’’ Nurse said. ‘‘With those guys out, all these other guys had to be thrown into these other roles, which was hard for them to do.’’
New Sky coach Tyler Marsh has championship ties to Nurse.
The first title Marsh won came while working on Nurse’s coaching staff with Rio Grande of the G League in 2013. He also was on Nurse’s staff when the Raptors won the NBA title in 2019.
Marsh since has added two more titles with the WNBA’s Aces.
‘‘Tyler has more rings than anybody in this room,’’ Nurse said. ‘‘He’s almost got a whole handful. I’m really happy for him. Great person, doing everything right.’’
