Clippers center DeAndre Jordan made his first 3 ever, somehow
Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is on pace to lead the NBA in field-goal percentage for the third season in a row, a mark of his ability as a finisher around the basket (and Chris Paul’s greatness in getting him the ball in those spots). However, Jordan is absolutely a non-threat anywhere else — he has attempted 81.3 percent of his career shots and 92.3 of this season’s shots from inside three feet. As anyone who was watched Jordan shoot free throws knows, he is not going to take many jumpers by choice.
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So we are pleased and somewhat frightened to announce that Jordan has made a jump shot. And not just any old heave — it was the first converted three-pointer of his seven-season pro career. It came at the end of the shot clock on the Clippers second possession of Friday night’s game at the Dallas Mavericks, after a broken play forced Jordan to pick up the ball on the left wing. Take a look:
As with Jordan’s free throws, the form doesn’t look so bad. Nevertheless, no one could have anticipated this moment. Jordan had missed his previous seven career long-range attempts, three of which had come earlier this season. Plus, he didn’t attempt a three-pointer in his lone season at Texas A&M, so for all we know Jordan possibly had never made a triple in an organized basketball game. There is no easy way to explain how this happened — it’s probably best to embrace the mystery.
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All we know, really, is that Jordan deserves credit for the make. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers spent Friday morning continuing to support his center for Defensive Player of the Year in the face of reasoned arguments against the case, but maybe he had it all wrong. Let’s get a new movement started and put DeAndre Jordan in All-Star Weekend’s Three-Point Contest next February. If this shot is any indication, there’s no way he won’t entertain.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
