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Dallas Mavericks Catch Big Fish In DeAndre Jordan

By Christian Blood

May 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) dribbles against Houston Rockets in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Los Angeles Clippers won 117 to 101. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) dribbles against Houston Rockets in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Los Angeles Clippers won 117 to 101. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Dallas Mavericks were patient even when the fish didn’t seem to be biting, especially in recent years – but then came center DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 6’11” center out of Texas A&M was considered a must-have for the Mavericks following a handful of key free-agent departures earlier this week.

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Now, the Mavericks apparently have him, according to ESPN.com.

The biggest issue facing Dallas was the expected relocation of Tyson Chandler, now heading off to the Phoenix Suns. Alarming was the speed at which it happened, thus leaving the Mavs in a mad scramble to secure the services of Jordan with their “Plan B” instantly vanishing from any future possibilities.

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This changes forever the perception that Dallas is not a place where free agents in the NBA want to go. There’s no need to rehash the perceived failures over the last few years, but this is a huge signing for at least two reasons.

First off, it secures arguably the best center the Mavericks have ever had – no offense to Chandler.

Finally, it lays a foundation of youth for contention as early as next season and beyond.

What just hours ago was a stomach-turning wait on Jordan’s decision, which could have drastically changed the short-term future for this franchise, has now turned into a suddenly potent roster with some young talent in place.

You know the deal, concerning age and miles, with power forward and 2011 NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki. You knew that Chandler was well north of 30 years old and had extensive injury history.

But suddenly the Mavericks are a team with, in addition to Jordan, another new acquisition in shooting guard Wesley Matthews from the Portland Trail Blazers and also last year’s FA catch, Chandler Parsons, the small forward who completes a trio of recent talent all 28 years old or younger. Parsons apparently recruited Jordan very hard for weeks leading up to this announcement.

Already fading from memory is last week’s selection of small forward Justin Anderson of Virginia in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Funny how things can change in just a week – or a few hours.

Just days ago, I wrote that Dallas should just keep Chandler as opposed to chasing Jordan for a lot more money.

But then Chandler was gone just hours after those thoughts went live.

While it’s true that Dallas would have been well served by keeping Chandler, there’s really no doubt that Jordan is at least a slight upgrade over what the Mavs had to end the season with.

No, Jordan can’t hit free throws, an issue I think head coach Rick Carlisle will address immediately, but he really makes up for that everywhere else. His league-leading field goal percentage of .710 is certainly something to behold and is an indication of the type of force Jordan is under the rim – and approaching it on the fast break.

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    • Jordan is also a killer on the boards at both ends of the court.

    Sure, Chandler was very good – but Jordan is great. He’s probably the most athletic center in the entire NBA.

    Now, there’s no assurances whatsoever that Dallas is a bona fide contender just based on the way the weekend is starting.

    But this franchise is a heck of a lot closer than it was a matter of hours ago – and interesting is the fact that LaMarcus Aldridge apparently hadn’t made a decision yet.

    Stay tuned.

    Next: Dallas Mavericks Offseason Finally Showing Addition

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