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Losing DeAndre Jordan Isn’t A Monumental Blow

By Paolo Santamaria

Dec 4, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) attempts to dunk over Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) attempts to dunk over Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports /
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Prior to the start of the 2011-2012 season, Chris Paul became a Los Angeles Clipper and the best point guard in the NBA united with two of the best dunkers in the NBA: Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Four seasons later, Jordan walked away from the Clippers to join the Dallas Mavericks on a four-year, $80 million deal, thus ending Lob City. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were more than just an elite alley-oop tandem; in those four short years, Griffin and Jordan blossomed into formidable offensive and defensive talents, respectively.

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Jordan was a vacuum of rebounds on the Clippers, inhaling 15 rebounds per game. Not only that, but he was a formidable shot blocker, averaging 2.2 a game, as well as the league leader in field goal percentage, sporting a 71.1 percent conversation rate.

The Chris Paul-DeAndre Jordan pick-and-roll was lethal, with defenses respecting Paul’s offensive game as a 49 percent midrange shooter but also respecting a potential feed to Jordan; the Clippers offense became a pick your poison type system, with Jordan as perhaps the deadliest and most explosive option. Who could forget this dunk?

Defensively, Jordan was a presence in the paint for an otherwise average Clippers defense. According to Nylon Calculus, he contested 44.5 percent of shots in the paint while holding opponents to under 49 percent shooting at the rim. Not exactly top tier, but Jordan was undeniably a force.

The Clippers will miss that. For most people, the Clippers have been eliminated from any championship contention until proven otherwise. This, I believe, is both highly erroneous and greatly exaggerated.

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Jordan is a monster in the paint, without question. But Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are still two of the 10 best players in the NBA.

See Griffin’s averages for the playoffs: 25.5 points per game, 12.7 rebounds per game and 6.1 assists per game on 51 percent shooting with only 3.2 turnovers per game.

Griffin turned his game up a notch when it counted most, and while there is no guarantee that he can do it time in and time out next season, we’ve seen just what he can do. Expect Doc Rivers to give him more freedom within the offense and make him a huge focal point. As it is, Griffin already averaged nearly 22 points per game while sharing lobs from CP3. Expect that to change as well.

It is without a doubt that teams will no longer fear Lob City as they once did, but Chris Paul is a floor general known for adapting his game to any and all types of soldiers. With the Clippers adding Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce, I expect Paul and the Clippers to be running a much more drive-and-kick style of offense.

Pierce is a knockdown shooter, hitting threes at a 39 percent clip this past season. Stephenson, on the other hand, is a huge question mark. If he can revert to his play as a Pacer, there’s no reason he won’t be able to elevate the Clippers’ offense and provide a spark when they most need it.

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    • In Indiana, Stephenson’s great performances were always a pleasant surprise; in Charlotte, they were demanded of him. While his mentality and confidence remain to be seen, perhaps a lesser role for him on the Clippers can foster a similar level of performance.

    However, despite the promise that Clippers’ offense shows, as they are unlikely to miss a beat, their defensive presence down low is a tremendous question mark. Because the Clippers were only going to go farther into the luxury tax to re-sign Jordan, they have essentially no cap room to sign a new center — only the league minimum and the mini-Mid-Level Exception (around $3 million per year).

    As of Jul. 5, any decent replacement options are out of the window: Roy Hibbert, Kosta Koufos and Bismack Biyombo have been either traded or are in a verbal agreement to sign with another team.

    It appears as though the Clippers’ best option at this point would be Javale McGee. Now, McGee is the King of Fools, as Shaquille O’Neal will tell you, but his physical tools and athleticism make him a serviceable replacement for Jordan if he commits himself to playing with Chris Paul.

    At times, we’ve seen Paul’s mean streak: he commands attention and demands hard work. And, as many of you may remember, he can really lose his temper:

    This is just one boneheaded play from Jordan. Imagine a litany of them from Javale McGee. But still, McGee is an animal, perhaps in more ways than Jordan is. In his last full season (2012-13), McGee only played 18 minutes per game and was still able to average two blocks a game, alongside nine points and six rebounds.

    Per 36 minutes, that’s 18 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.9(!) blocks per game. Maybe McGee just needs another chance. The Clippers are certainly desperate to give it to him.

    But even if they don’t acquire McGee and go with another center, the Los Angeles Clippers will be just fine. The loss of DeAndre Jordan hurts them and probably does put a ceiling on what they can accomplish this year. Doc Rivers certainly has a challenge on his hands, but I don’t think the Clippers are in any danger of missing the playoffs so long as everyone stays healthy.

    More than anything, they’re hungry. After a monumental collapse at the hands of the Houston Rockets, they have something to prove. And with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin leading the charge, they still have the pieces to do so.

    Next: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions

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