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Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond addressed the media during the launch of his signature Halo Burger on Saturday, May 6, 2017 in Fenton, Mich.

(Justin Smith)

FENTON, MI - It's no secret. The Detroit Pistons didn't live up to their expectations this past season.

Just one year after reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2009, many folks expected the team to take off but that didn't happen.

Instead, Detroit finished 37-45 and missed the postseason.

Andre Drummond doesn't have any excuses, either.

"We dropped the ball and it starts with me, too, as the leader of our team I needed to be better at getting my guys prepared for these games that we did lose," Drummond said Saturday, during the launch of his signature Halo Burger. "It was a tough year for all of us.

"We need to come back stronger and better than ever."

Drummond is looking forward to a productive summer, though. His first order of business was getting his nose fixed. The 6-foot-11 center recently underwent surgery in New York to correct a deviated septum in his left nostril.

"It was probably the best thing I did because right now I feel outstanding and I'm breathing great," Drummond said. "It's going to be a great summer for me."

The problem has been lingering since his lone college season at UConn in 2012-13, but it's gotten progressively worse.

"Obviously, you need both nostrils to play but I'm hardheaded so I didn't want to do it at the time," Drummond said. "I didn't' feel like it was the right time to do it so I just figured a different way until I got a chance to do it so that's how I played for four years. I made it work.

"I didn't do that bad. I still was an All-Star, I still was All-NBA, I still made certain things work but this season was probably my toughest breathing year for me."

Working on post moves, being better conditioned and obviously free throws, are all top priorities for Drummond this off-season. He recently returned from participating in light basketball activities at California's Sports Academy.

Longtime friend Lowell Ulmer noticed the difference in Drummond's breathing during the open runs.

"Just breathing, he told me 'Bro, I didn't know how good, being able to breath clearly through my nose would feel,'" Ulmer said. "I'm excited to see what he can do now that he can breathe. I think he can play harder and a little longer now, too."

As the highest paid player in Pistons history, Drummond received much criticism this season for his leadership, defensive intensity and poor free-throw shooting. Attending Saturday's official launch party for his signature Halo Burger in Fenton served as a breath of fresh air for the Pistons big man.

"It's good to get away from all that nonsense and be around some kids," Drummond said. "At the end of the day, I'm not worried about what a grown man has to say about another grown man. I'm here to have some fun."

The one-time NBA All-Star averaged 13.6 points, 13.8 boards and 1.1 blocks in his fifth season. He said he's ready to prove he's still in the elite category of NBA big men.

"I never left," Drummond said. "Just because I might have had an off season, that doesn't make me a terrible player. It's a lot of guys that sit behind a desk all day and just talk.

"I'm not thinking about none of that stuff," Drummond said. "I'm here to play basketball. At the end of the day, I'm here to make my teammates better and myself better. They're going to get paid to write stories and I get paid to play basketball."

As the Pistons prepare to move from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, Drummond has set a goal to make sure his team gets back on track. Nothing else matters.

"We took a step back from the year before and I'm just really excited for the upcoming season," Drummond said. "It's pretty much like a fresh start with a whole new arena, a whole new demographic of where we're playing and I'm really excited for that. I'm really looking forward to it."