Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – Byron Scott sees DeAndre Jordan as the league’s top defensive player.
Scott said before playing the Clippers in the second of two straight games that Jordan scares everyone who drives into the lane, affecting the game in a unique way that can’t show up in a stat sheet.
“It’s a luxury to have a big that can clog up the middle like that, as athletic as he is, and also can block shots and rebound the ball the way he rebounds,” Scott said. “I think he is Defensive Player of the Year.”
Jordan proceeded to block three shots for the second time in his last three games, while also pulling down at least 17 rebounds for the second time in his last three games. He also moved ahead of Draymond Green for the lead in defensive win shares (5.1) with his strong start to April.
“He changes shots and he changes guys’ minds by going in there, because he’s such a presence,” Scott said. “It’s great to have a guy like that.”
Scott described Jordan as “an anchor” defensively, and it’s not just because of his physical attributes.
“He talks,” Scott said. “He’s one of the best communicators. He can do whatever you want him to do defensively. He can hard show, he can trap guys, or he can play centerfield.”
Head coach Doc Rivers has pushed for Jordan to be the Defensive Player of the Year for a while, because he knows how vital Jordan’s been as the anchor in the middle. Rivers said that push for Jordan might’ve began with people asking him about it, but he said Jordan���s been good enough to warrant that recognition.
Jordan leads the league in total rebounds (14.9 per game), defensive rebounds (10.1 per game), total rebound percentage (24.4), defensive rebound percentage (32.5) and defensive win shares. He’s also fourth in the league in blocks per game (2.2).
The Clippers allow the second fewest field goals per game at the rim in the league (10.2) and the fewest attempts per game at the rim (9.8) thanks in large part to Jordan, who also holds the longest active consecutive games played streak in the NBA at 319.
He hasn’t missed a regular season game since the 2010-11 season, and he could build on that if Rivers decides not to rest players down the stretch.
“I think that’s always up to the player,” Rivers said. “Some players, that’s very important to, to keep playing, and some it’s not.”
