2018 NBA free agency grades: Mavericks land DeAndre Jordan
After years without any success in free agency, the Dallas Mavericks will sign the player that once spurned them, DeAndre Jordan.
According to the New York Times‘ Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks and former Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan have verbally agreed to a one-year deal approaching $24.1 million. This union comes three years after the 6’11” center snubbed the Mavericks in the summer of 2015.
The Mavericks’ troubles at the center position have been well-documented. After losing out on Jordan in 2015, the team was unable to retain Tyson Chandler. Chandler, who signed with the Phoenix Suns, was an elite rim protector at the time. He played a huge role when Dallas won the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2011.
Dallas traded for Nerlens Noel in February of 2017, but his tenure with the team has been tarnished due to maturity issues. Dallas has been forced to play the 39-year-old Dirk Nowitzki (now 40) as a stretch-5, but it was a temporary fix for a long-term problem.
Signing the 29-year-old was the only remaining avenue for the team to address its most glaring weakness: rebounding.
Jordan averaged a career-high 15.2 rebounds per game behind a defensive rebounding percentage of 37.6 percent. This is the biggest benefit for a Dallas team that ranked 27th in the NBA in rebounding last season. Harrison Barnes led the team with 6.1 rebounds per game, but Jordan has averaged at least 13.0 rebounds the past five seasons.
He is also one of the most durable players in the NBA, playing in at least 77 games in each of the past six seasons. The Mavericks aren’t just signing an All-Star caliber talent, they’re adding a reliable one at that.
Jordan was a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team member in consecutive seasons in 2015 and 2016. He was adept at using his length and athleticism as an active rim protector, altering shots if not blocking them outright.
However, he only averaged 0.9 blocks per game during the 2017-18 campaign. In Rick Carlisle’s system, Jordan could return to form on the defensive end.
Unlike many modern big men, Jordan’s offensive game doesn’t function beyond the paint. His jump shot is nonexistent and he doesn’t shoot 3-pointers. Jordan also struggles at the free throw line, shooting 58.0 percent last season — a career-high.
With Chris Paul no longer on the team, Jordan’s struggles on offense continued. He shot below the 70 percent mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Without the Point God hand-feeding Jordan perfectly timed lobs, his field goal percentage dipped.
If Jordan builds chemistry with Luka Doncic, a pick-and-roll maestro, he could once again be on the receiving end of countless, earth-shattering alley-oops. A pick-and-roll game featuring the two could turn deadly, as it could with Dennis Smith Jr.
Jordan has a ton of playoff experience, which is invaluable for a young team like Dallas as it attempts to become competitive again. Carlisle will undoubtedly help him shine on both sides of the ball.
Letting go of his past betrayal and bringing the Texas native back home was the best move for the Mavericks. Although his game has its limits, acquiring Jordan is still a huge win for the Mavericks.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A-