New York State native Andre Drummond signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the New York Knicks this offseason.

He made his Madison Square Garden debut as a home player on Thursday in a 111-109 defeat to the Washington Wizards. However, not even a preseason loss could spoil — in many ways — a long-awaited homecoming. 

"It was crazy," Drummond said. "A crazy feeling being on this side. Obviously, I've played in The Garden since college... Playing my whole career against the Knicks. Now wearing this jersey and being a Knick is kind of surreal." 

Drummond was brought to New York to replace Mitchell Robinson, who is now a Boston Celtic. He will serve as the primary backup to Karl-Anthony Towns. However, as with Robinson, the two will play together at times.

In that sense, the Knicks might've found themselves an upgrade.

While Drummond may not be as good a defender as Robinson, he offers respectable service on that end and can help the Knicks in several offensive areas — including a recently added wrinkle: three-point shooting.

He shot 35.6 percent on 90 attempts from beyond the arc with the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He had never taken that many three-pointers in any previous season. 

Averaging 12.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game over his 14-year career, Drummond showed flashes of his bag against the Wizards, posting 8 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Five of Drummond's boards came on the offensive glass, something that has become his calling card — consistently rewarding his teams with multiple second-chance opportunities. 

A four-time NBA rebounding champion and a two-time All-Star, Drummond is also a significantly better free-throw shooter than Robinson. That alone will likely buy him time late in games, when Robinson often had to sit for intentional fouls. 

Now 33 years old, Drummond offers abundant veteran leadership. Having played on seven different teams, he knows the league inside and out. That could prove invaluable as the Knicks navigate their first title-defense season in 53 years. 

An underrated aspect of the signing is that Drummond also brings hunger to win. He has never been past the semifinals of the playoffs. And he's a boyhood Knicks fan.

"I've always wondered what this locker room looks like," he said. "It's kind of cool to be in here now. It's an honor to be a Knick, and I'm excited for a great season."

He reached the Eastern Conference semis with the Sixers last year before the Knicks swept them. If you can't beat them, join them comes to mind. 

That was the first time Drummond had ever been out of the first round. 

Complacency is hard to imagine as a problem for this Knicks team, which isn't your traditional superstar-studded championship team. Having someone in the ranks who has never tasted what you have before cannot hurt.

Towns is the Knicks' ceiling. That won't change anytime soon unless owner James Dolan's new contract-extension negotiation tactic backfires. However, Drummond provides an extremely safe floor for head coach Mike Brown in the non-KAT minutes.

The duo's combined size and offensive skill set when playing together, shifting Towns to the four, could develop into a dangerous proposition for opposing teams as the new season gets underway.