DeAndre Jordan should spurn Mavericks, return to Los Angeles Clippers
With DeAndre Jordan seemingly undecided in NBA free agency, returning to the Los Angeles Clippers is the right choice.
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DeAndre Jordan was one of the biggest names on the open market in NBA free agency when the frenzy got underway a little over a week ago. After a few days, though, it seemed as if the Dallas Mavericks had scored a major prize in free agency by agreeing to terms with Jordan. Now that’s looking less certain than ever before.
Jordan is reportedly questioning his decision and, with teams able to officially sign players at midnight on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers are making a major push to re-sign the center and leave the Mavericks in the cold. If Jordan is wise, he’ll oblige the Clippers and stay put rather than move on to Dallas.
It’s understandable why Jordan sees a move to Dallas as a viable option. There’s a need there with the departure of Tyson Chandler, but there’s also the reported promise that he’ll be more prominently featured in the offense than he’s ever been in Los Angeles. For a player entering his prime, that’s an enticing opportunity to have before him. However, it’s also a bit of fool’s gold.
The Mavericks are in talks around the league trying to land a solid option at the point guard position, but as of right now Raymond Felton would be the starter. Even with Jordan having issues with Chris Paul as a member of the Clippers, Felton is a tremendous step down from playing with one of the best point guards in the league in CP3. For that matter, anyone that Dallas could even add isn’t of the caliber that Paul is.
How that relates to Jordan is quite simple. Much of Jordan’s production on the offensive end is a direct result of Paul’s ability to create. Paul demands so much respect with the ball in his hand that defenses collapse on him and create open rim-runs for Jordan. The result is Jordan’s bread and butter: lobs and easy dunks that he’s more than capable of finishing.
Having Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas would certainly open up the floor to a certain degree for Jordan, but Blake Griffin offers a similar aid to Jordan in Los Angeles in addition to having Paul as the primary ball-handler. Without an elite point guard in Dallas, featuring Jordan in the offense sounds a lot better on paper than it would likely work out during game action.
Jordan deserves the big payday coming his way, no matter which team is giving it to him. His proven ability to protect the rim, gobble up boards, and finish at the rim—among other things as well—have put him in the position where he is worthy of a big contact. That being said, the best move for him from a basketball perspective and for his value going forward is to stay in Los Angeles. His role with the Clippers may not entail as much as it would with the Mavericks, but Los Angeles is the place where he will be in the best spot to succeed.