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DeAndre Jordan airballs two straight free throws (video)

By John Buhler

Oct 14, 2015, Shanghai, China; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the game as the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Charlotte Hornets at Mercedes-Benz Arena. Hornets beat the Clippers by a score of 113-71. Mandatory Credit: Danny La-USA Today Sports
Oct 14, 2015, Shanghai, China; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the game as the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Charlotte Hornets at Mercedes-Benz Arena. Hornets beat the Clippers by a score of 113-71. Mandatory Credit: Danny La-USA Today Sports /
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DeAndre Jordan misses both of his free throw attempts in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, just inside of halftime at the Staples Center.

It’s 2015 and Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan still cannot make free throws. He airballed two straight free throw attempts inside of a minute remaining in the first half in the Clippers’ 107-99 home victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

DeAndre Jordan make work tirelessly in becoming a better free throw shooter, but he’s shooting an atrocious 38.7% from the charity stripe in 2015-16 and is a career 41.5% free throw shooter from the free throw line.

The Clippers’ announcers reactions to Jordan’s back-to-back airballs are priceless. After the first airball the television audience hears, “we have not seen one of those in a while.” The second brings up, “that is the biggest disconnect we’ve seen from him all season.” He looked like the wrong kind of Air Jordan on that set of late second quarters free throws versus the Timberwolves.

The troubling part of DeAndre Jordan’s inability to consistently make free throws is that Clippers head coach Doc Rivers can’t play him in the final six minutes of basketball games. During crunch time, one would think that it would be wise to play the team’s third best player when the game is on the line.

However, teams continue to show no mercy with Jordan’s abysmal free throw shooting. He’s becoming the epitome of the Hack-a-Shaq defensive concept and opponents will continue to exploit this distinct offensive liability for the Los Angeles Clippers should Doc Rivers choose to play Jordan late in halves.

Is it crazy for DeAndre Jordan to at least consider shooting the basketball underhanded at the free throw line? Hall of Famer Rick Barry will almost gladly show the Clippers’ big man how it’s done. For as much as Jordan gives the Clippers on the defensive end and on above the rim with his raw athleticism, his poor free throw shooting could prove costly if Los Angeles embarks on a deep playoff run.

Don’t think for a second that San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich won’t deploy his Hack-a-Shaq methods on Jordan in the Western Semis or the Western Conference Finals. Nothing but air.

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