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Paul, Jordan Named To 2015-16 All-Defensive First Team

Rowan Kavner Digital Content Coordinator

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan are both on the All-Defensive First Team for the second straight season.

This marks Paul’s fifth straight season as a member of the All-Defensive First Team and the second straight year for Jordan, who helped anchor the Clippers’ top five defense in 2015-16.

Paul received a total of 148 points with 59 First Team votes and 30 Second Team votes, while Jordan received 137 points with 62 First Team votes and 25 Second Team votes.

Jordan averaged a career-high 10.3 defensive rebounds per game, leading the league in the category while finishing second in rebounds per game (13.8) and blocks per game (2.3) in the NBA.

“He’s just affected the game for us - his energy, his activity and his voice,” said head coach Doc Rivers. “He’s the loudest player on our team with his talk. He’s taken another step defensively this year, and it’s been good for us.”

Jordan became the Clippers’ all-time leading rebounder in November, and he joined Ben Wallace as the only two players since 1983-84 with a defensive rebounding rate greater than 32.5 percent and a block rate greater than 5 percent in a single season among players who logged at least 2,000 minutes. 

Rivers made defensive changes this season to keep Jordan closer to the basket, and while the learning curve took time, he said it paid off in the end. Once again, he said Jordan would’ve been his Defensive Player of the Year pick.

“People think, ‘Man, he plays hard,’” Rivers said. “It’s just a part of his skill package. There’s a lot of guys that just couldn’t do that, the way he plays, but he does it every night and we need it every night.”

The Clippers also needed it at the perimeter from Paul, who continued to guard the opponent’s top point guard despite his significant task at the other end leading the offense, and he finished third in the NBA in steals per game (2.1) and fifth in Player Efficiency Rating (26.2).

“He’s just an unbelievable basketball player,” Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas said earlier this season. “Whether it’s on defense guarding the best player, whether it’s taking over on the offensive end whether scoring or passing, he can do it all. He’s somebody I looked up to growing up in college and someone I still look up to as a peer of mine.”

It marked the ninth season in Paul’s career he averaged at least two steals per game, so it makes sense Paul’s now recorded six All-Defensive First Team honors and two All-Defensive Second Team honors since 2009.

Paul and Jordan played significant roles in turning a middle-of-the-pack defense last year, allowing 103 points per 100 possessions, into one of the league’s elite defenses this year, allowing 100.9 points per possessions along with the Warriors and Celtics.

Only the Spurs, Hawks and Pacers finished the season with a better defensive rating than the Clippers, Warriors and Celtics. In addition, the Clippers held opponents to just 43.4 percent shooting, the best mark in franchise history.

“We talk about it all the time, DJ covers up so many mistakes,” Paul said earlier this year. “You know you’ve got DJ behind you, that’s a pretty good insurance policy.”

Joining Paul and Jordan on the All-Defensive First Team were Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who was selected unanimously, Warriors forward Draymond Green and Celtics guard Avery Bradley. The All-Defensive Second Team consisted of Hawks forward Paul Millsap, Pacers forward Paul George, Heat center Hassan Whiteside, Grizzlies guard Tony Allen and Bulls guard Jimmy Butler.