On may 25th 2016 DeAndre Jordan and his Los Angeles Clipper teammate Chris Paul were named to the All-Defensive First Team. This came as no surprise as many people have appreciated Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan’s defensive skills for several years. But a day later, on May 26th 2016, DeAndre Jordan was awarded with an All-NBA First Team selection. With Draymond Green and Demarcus Cousins both having great seasons, and Andre Drummond having a breakout year with the Detroit Pistons many people were shocked to see Jordan being selected for this team. But should this selection be so remarkable?
With Blake Griffin out for half of the Clipper’s season DeAndre Jordan stepped up big and helped the Clippers with everything he could. Jordan was arguably the best defensive anchor in the NBA and was conceivably the most athletic center in the world. His hard work, effort, and passion helped the Los Angeles Clippers win 53 regular season games and land the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings. DeAndre Jordan also played fantastic in the playoffs as he averaged more rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals than he did in the regular season. But with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both unable to play due to injuries Jordan could not lead his team to a series win over the talented Portland Trail Blazers.
DeAndre Jordan 2015-2016 per game averages: 12.7 PPG 13.8 RPG 2.3 BPG 1.2 APG and 0.7 SPG
DeAndre Jordan 2015-2016 playoffs per game averages: 11.7 PPG 16.3 RPG 2.7 BPG 1.8 APG and 1.2 SPG
DeAndre Jordan 2015-2016 accomplishments: All-NBA First Team member, All-Defensive First Team member, first in defensive rebounds per game, first in field goal percentage (70.3%), second in blocks per game, second in total blocks, second in rebounds per game, only player in NBA to average 12 rebounds and 2 blocks, only player this season to rank in the top five in offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating.
With DeAndre Jordan having such a good season he still had a lot of competition for the All-NBA First Team. But every competitor of his had one big reason why they were not as deserving. First Draymond Green is not a true center, and can not defend in the post near as good as DeAndre Jordan can. Secondly Demarcus Cousins had a great season, but his team didn’t. The Kings ended with a 33-49 record proving that Demarcus Cousins simply can not lead a team and play big when he is needed. Lastly Andre Drummond started this season with undeniably dominating stats, but after the All-Star break he started to play much worse. Because Drummond was inconsistent this season he finished the year with less impressive statistics than Jordan.
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Awesome article.