DeAndre Jordan finally got to play, but is making impact regardless of minutes
The LA Lakers brought in center DeAndre Jordan to provide a veteran rebounding and defensive presence, as well as a lob threat, even at 33. Los Angeles signed Jordan days after he was traded by the Brooklyn Nets and then bought out by the Detroit Pistons in September.
With the Lakers reacquiring howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Dwight Howard, the objective was to recapture the effectiveness of a two-headed monster, along with Anthony Davis, as they did in their 2020 championship season (when they paired JaVale McGee and Howard).
At 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, he was expected to be a big body to match Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns and other imposing centers in the NBA. Jordan has shown flashes of his prime LA Clippers' “Lob City” years. He is still an above-average athlete for a center and will still rebound and block shots.
Jordan had a particularly memorable dunk against Robin Lopez of the Orlando Magic.
But those flashes have been few and far between, and he has been something of a disappointment. Jordan is averaging 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, the lowest numbers since his first two years in the league, in a career-low 13.2 minutes.
He can be a defensive liability when defending lobs or the pick and roll. Jordan doesn’t possess the lateral quickness defensively, and he is not the rebounding or shot-blocking threat as he once was.
More of a problem is that besides lobs and putbacks, Jordan is not an offensive factor. Plus, he is infamously known for his free-throw problems, although he has been shooting comparatively well this season (59% as opposed to 48% for his career).
In November, coach Frank Vogel said the Lakers would use only one other center, along with Anthony Davis and LeBron James (after a Thanksgiving Eve revelation against the Pacers) at that position.
With Dwight Howard performing effectively in limited minutes in his second stint in Los Angeles (including a recent 14 and 14 game against the Kings), people more or less knew "DeAndre 3000" would be the odd man out.
With James forced to play center full-time recently due to the rash of injuries and COVID protocols, James has played at a historical and MVP level in his 19th season, on both ends of the court.