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Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan makes All-NBA First Team

By Tom West

Apr 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after being called for a foul against Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after being called for a foul against Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Clippers have been very well represented in the 2015-16 All-NBA teams, with DeAndre Jordan making the First Team and Chris Paul making the Second Team.

Well, this is what some will be baffled by and Los Angeles Clippers fans will be pleased to see. Over DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond or any other center, DeAndre Jordan made the All-NBA First Team for 2015-16.

Davis is one of the top few players in the league when he’s healthy, but after playing just 61 games and the New Orleans Pelicans falling off the map, he was clearly penalized because of it. And as for Cousins, who put together a remarkable stat line of 26.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, arguably performing as the most talented center in the world, he was also possibly cut down to the Second Team due to the Sacramento Kings winning just 33 games.

This gave Jordan the opportunity to enter the First Team — to the passionate disagreement of most people on Twitter if you go look — with his averages 12.7 points (70.3 percent shooting), 13.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. After stepping up so much in the 45-game absence of Blake Griffin, making the Clippers by far the best team among the group of All-NBA centers, it’s that amount of success that surely helped him lock up the honor. He was pivotal in not only holding the Clippers together, but elevating their performance, helping to take them from 15th in defensive efficiency last year to 4th.

Showcasing that elite defense and being named to the All-Defensive First Team for the second straight season only boosted his votes, too.

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The Clippers and their fans will obviously be pleased to see this, as there really isn’t an undisputed top center on an elite team. Drummond and Hassan Whiteside were both on playoff teams, but both clearly have their flaws and limitations offensively, too.

Feel free to argue at will. All-NBA teams always cause disagreement.

While it’s hard to believe that Davis was left off every team (even with only 61 games played) and Paul Millsap was snubbed after an exceptional career-year at both ends of the floor (just to name a couple of possible takeaways), the first team is pretty much as expected. Yes, it’s strange seeing Kevin Durant not being in the top-five of any NBA-based discussion, but Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook took the backcourt, LeBron James is LeBron James, and the San Antonio Spurs won 67 games to help Kawhi Leonard‘s already strong case.

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Meanwhile, when focussing on the Clippers, Chris Paul also got his recognition on the Second Team. With Curry being crowned MVP for the second straight year and Westbrook dominating with 18 ridiculous triple-doubles, it isn’t too surprising to see Paul slip from the First Team.

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