Stan Van Gundy seemed almost happy, a decidedly unnatural state for a peripatetic worrywart once the off-season ends.
Maybe here’s a clue as to why. When I asked Andre Drummond what his first impression was after 2½ days and five practices, perhaps something he found encouraging, here’s what he said: “We’re a tough team, man. We’ve got a lot of physical guys out there. The harder we play, the more energy everybody brings, it makes it fun to play. Everybody’s not being soft. Everybody’s really attacking and not avoiding contact, so for me it’s fun. Instead of being the only guy that’s physical, I’ve got a whole team that wants to bang with me.