For New York professional athletes, the surest way to lose fans’ adulation (other than whatever the hell the Mets are doing) is if they perceive you are not giving full effort.
Whether or not that was actually the case with DeAndre Jordan, rather than simply a natural decline in performance due to age, the Nets center often bore the brunt of the fans’ wrath, particularly after those moments where he deigned not to chase after loose balls or contest opposing shooters.
More importantly, Jordan’s 16 consecutive DNP-CDs, including all 12 playoff contests, were an indication that he no longer had Nets Head Coach Steve Nash’s confidence. That’s why no one is shocked that the organization, after reportedly striking out in trying to dump the 33-year old Jordan in the offseason trade market, is now, according to The Athletic, discussing a buyout of the remaining two seasons of the 4-year contract he signed as a free agent in the Clean Sweep summer of 2019, when he joined forces with superstar friends Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Such an accommodation would be beneficial to all sides, since Jordan could choose his next destination (possibly the Lakers, because, well, doesn’t everyone?) as a free agent while the Nets would clear a roster slot (though not the nearly $10 million he is slated to earn this season, because Brooklyn is way over the salary cap threshold) for someone who would be a better fit in Nash’s switching defense.
Who could that be? At this point, we’re all hoping General Manager Sean Marks is playing chess, thinking two moves ahead, because the best of the current free agent crop might not be available for plucking. I wrote last week that forward Paul Millsap would be a nice fit should he sign here, but he is also reportedly looking at higher-paying options. So would a return of LaMarcus Aldridge, though he’d first have to satisfy medical reviews of his heart-related complications that led to his sudden “retirement” while with Brooklyn last season before he could even consider where to play going forward.
Since neither appears to be anything close to a done deal, the Nets could find themselves heading into training camp at the end of next month with a center depth chart of Blake Griffin, Nicolas Claxton, and Day’Ron Sharpe. Considering that Griffin and Claxton have been somewhat injury-plagued the last few seasons and Sharpe is just 19, that’s a pretty scary proposition, and not in the good, James Harden-like way.
The alternative is to keep Jordan around as insurance until Marks nails down his target. Yes, it can be awkward when a player reports to camp after a summer of noise about his departure (can’t wait for the reception Ben Simmons will get in Philadelphia!), but it’s not uncommon. Just ask all the Nets rumored to be in the Harden deal last offseason until it was consummated in January.
I know a lot of fans would view that as untenable, but they can relax, since all signs seem to indicate that Jordan won’t be in Nets gear when the team heads to San Diego for the opening of camp. Being a Friend of Kevin only gets you so far, and Jordan’s downward spiral toward irrelevance cannot be ignored any longer by the organization, not when each dollar spent is compounded by exponential luxury tax add-ons.
To be fair, I want to stipulate that Jordan’s Nets tenure really wasn’t all bad. I maintain that he vastly outplayed fan favorite Jarrett Allen for about a 15-game stretch in 2020 and that Kenny Atkinson’s refusal to accept that by swapping out Allen for Jordan in the starting lineup was a contributing factor as to why he is no longer Brooklyn’s coach.
In the end, though, Jordan will best be remembered here not for the resurrection of Lob City, but for a 4am phone conversation where he and two of the best players in the NBA agreed to move to Brooklyn, and then too often played as if he was just bumming the ride.
The #1 issue with Jordan was his defense after his man would set a pick.
Nash went 99% switch defense last season and Jordan simply could not keep up. But what was most confusing to me; he never even tried.
He rarely actually switched. He always just dropped back to the paint. I have to assume this was instructed by the coaching staff; but the way he dropped back left even more to confusion.
If you drop back into the paint its to prevent the drive. If the ball handler does not drive you simply switch back onto your man. But Jordan never did. He would just stand in the paint. He wouldn't even close out. That was where the problem was. It was a guaranteed open shot for the other team if the 5 man could shoot a jumper.
I have to wonder what was going on here. Even if Jordan can't keep up with a switch he can still close out. He can still get back to his 5 man if the play doesn't develop. But he never did.
No way the coaches would simply 'allow this', yet he did it for 2 straight seasons.
What was going on?
When I remember DeAndre Jordan, I'll think about how he refused to be a team player. I hate he got Kenny fired and I hate how he clashed for the starting spot.
What I hate most is our woeful situation at Center. Thanks DeAndre!