DeAndre Jordan: B
Despite some questionable defense and an overall lack of effort at times, DeAndre Jordan was able to prove that he doesn’t need Chris Paul to be a great center in the NBA. And since that was the biggest question surrounding him entering the season, I’m going to reward him with a high grade for doing so.
Statistically, he was impressive. He averaged a career-high 15.3 rebounds per game, as well as shooting a career-high 59% from the stripe.
That being said, Jordan wasn’t the shining star we’ve become used to seeing this season. He shot 64.3% from the floor, his lowest mark since the 2012-2013 season, and his block totals were extremely low for someone of his stature and ability.
In addition, there were a lot of times when it looked like Jordan took entire plays off. Whether it was staying back to talk something over with an official or jogging up the floor after failing to grab a rebound, it wasn’t a good look.
Moving forward, Jordan’s future with the Clippers is foggy. He has a player option for the final year of his contract, and he’s expected to opt out and pursue free agency. The Clippers could re-sign him, but Jordan could demand more money than the team is willing to pay. And with the current state of the NBA, a non-shooting big probably won’t be a hot commodity.