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This was the same player who couldn’t get on the floor during the fourth quarter during the previous five seasons and was constantly in Vinny Del Negro’s dog house.

Perhaps Rivers was trying to build up the confidence of a player who had very little of it by the end of Del Negro’s tenure, but it seemed a stretch -- if not completely disingenuous -- to call the same player the “best defensive player in the league.”

As it turns out, there’s a reason why River is the highest paid coach in the league and tasked with handling the personnel of the team.

Even though Rivers lavished Jordan with more praise than most thought he deserved before this season began, he has lived up to the billing. He currently leads the NBA in rebounds (13.5), field goal percentage (.646) and is third in blocks (2.4). He is also averaging a career-high 9.4 points and 1.1 steals per game.

He is a candidate for both the defensive player of the year and the most improved player of the year awards and could possibly win both.