It wasn’t a stat line that DeAndre Jordan could be proud of—no points and only two rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Although his team earned a 92-87 victory, the Clippers’ current starting center only played 17 minutes, including just four in the second half.
With Chris Kaman supplying 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in 30 minutes of play, it may seem as if the 2010 NBA All-Star is ready to retake his position in the starting lineup.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro doesn’t think it’s necessary just yet.
“Not right now,” Del Negro told the LA Times. “DJ had got to be more consistent with his energy, his effort, his approach to things. When he does that, he makes a big difference for us.”
“But he’s got to understand his role,” Del Negro added. “Defense, rebounds, set screens, run the floor, do the things he’s more than capable of doing physically.”
Jordan responded accordingly on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics. Not only did he defend and rebound, he set the tone early for the Clippers’ offense by assaulting the basket.
Like spinach to Popeye or anger to The Hulk, dunks seem to ignite a flame under Jordan. Every dunk that Jordan crushed through the rim, the next one appeared to be more emphatic.
After a few stuffs in the first quarter, Jordan was a 6-foot-11 mass of unabashed energy and aggression.
"That's my guy," said teammate Mo Williams, who scored 28 points and provided much-needed poise throughout the game. "That's my project. I've got to make sure he's involved in the game because he gives us so much when he's involved in the game. When he's not, it shows. The main thing is to get him involved in the game early and he's going to give you a lot."
Jordan threw down seven dunks for the evening, but it was two free throws that gave them a rare 108-103 road win against the Eastern Conference powerhouse and 2008 NBA Champions. The Celtics erased a 23-point deficit and pulled to within four points, 104-100, with under a minute remaining.
After a missed three-point attempt by the Celtics, Jordan was fouled on the ensuing possession with 15.6 seconds left. He stepped up to the foul line with the opportunity to secure the victory by making both free throws.
Given that Jordan possesses a field goal percentage (69 percent) that’s higher than his free throw percentage (43 percent), knocking down two from the charity stripe appeared statistically improbable.
All of a sudden, Jordan’s energy and aggression morphed into strict focus and concentration. He approached the foul line, received some words of reassurance from his teammates and found the mark on both of his attempts.
“Mo told me just go up there and Blake told me I was going to knock them down,” said Jordan, who finished with 21 points off 9-of-10 shooting and nine rebounds. “Having those guys have the confidence in me, I went up there and had confidence in myself.”
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