Jordan's Journal

Post #1 » by **mkwest** » Sat Oct 4, 2008 4:18 pm

...We had Media Day on Monday, which was really fun (Except I had to sign something like 1,000 basketballs and 1,000 Clippers hats. That was not so fun.) Media Day in the NBA is a lot different from Media Day in college. At Texas A&M, Media Day was really small compared to this. For the Clippers we had about 500 news stations but at Texas A&M we only had like five. Okay maybe 500 is an exaggeration, but there were a lot more here. I really liked it though. Getting together in uniform with the guys at the new Training Center was fun.

Speaking of the Training Center, the place is awesome. I love it. We have full access to it 24 hours a day and seven days a week which is great. I've been working out there what seems like 24/7. It's a lot different than college. In college there were a certain amount of hours you could work out as a team and on your own. Here there's no limit. I can come in and work out whenever I want to get in there and do my work. I've been working real hard so I can produce this year. It's nice too because I live so close, maybe two or three lights away.

I also got a new tattoo during Summer League. It's a half of a skull and half of the world and it says, "Don't gain the world and lose your soul." It's not really "remember where you came from," but more like, "don't let it all get to your head to where you stop working and then it all goes down the drain." That's what it means to me, so I got it as a reminder. I'm not saying that I need to get a tattoo to remind me, but I do like tattoos. I have... (hang on, counting)... 11 total. My favorite one is the one on my abs that says "G.W.O.M." I used to write that on my sneakers in college, it stands for "God Watch Over Me."

myClipper Nation

scratch21 · Post #2 » by **scratch21** » Sat Oct 4, 2008 8:52 pm

He's dope. I hope he can live up to his hypeee

Post #3 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Sat Oct 4, 2008 11:05 pm

I read this last night, not too bad of a read.

Purpose · Post #4 » by **Purpose** » Sun Oct 5, 2008 12:17 am

scratch21 wrote:He's dope. I hope he can live up to his hypeee

There is no such thing as hype when you drop to 35. Low risk, high reward sir.

Post #5 » by **mkwest** » Sun Oct 5, 2008 8:31 am

Dunleavy has been raving about Jordan in training camp. I think that's a good sign, considering his work ethic was a red flag. Since he's been drafted, he's said all the right things (with the exception of the autograph signings :wink:

). Slipping to where he did was a humbling experience, and he's going to suck it up and work hard if he wants to show 20-some odd teams that they made mistake on passing on him.

mj_shoefanatic · Post #6 » by **mj_shoefanatic** » Sun Oct 5, 2008 11:33 am

Camby will be a perfect mentor for DJ

Post #7 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Sun Oct 5, 2008 4:45 pm

^ Don't forget Kaman as well. DJ has some good veterans to show him how to become a solid pro.

JJ LoDuca · Post #8 » by **JJ LoDuca** » Sun Oct 5, 2008 11:23 pm

thanumba2clippersfan wrote:^ Don't forget Kaman as well. DJ has some good veterans to show him how to become a solid pro.

I hear what you're saying, but Kaman doesn't strike me as the "teaching" type. :lol:

I think DJ will benefit more from the Cambyman than he will the Kaveman.

scratch21 · Post #9 » by **scratch21** » Mon Oct 6, 2008 12:20 am

ive never really seen this kid play..

playaloc916 · Post #10 » by **playaloc916** » Mon Oct 6, 2008 2:11 am

I remember seeing one summer league game where he had a monster dunk and then let out a big shout. Or was that a block? Either way, I'm hoping he'll get a bit of playing time this year and provide some highlight material.

illastrate · Post #11 » by **illastrate** » Mon Oct 6, 2008 9:26 pm

playaloc916 wrote:I remember seeing one summer league game where he had a monster dunk and then let out a big shout. Or was that a block? Either way, I'm hoping he'll get a bit of playing time this year and provide some highlight material.

That was a dunk off an Al Thornton feed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectq27Ddubk

It was nice.

Post #12 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Tue Oct 7, 2008 12:11 am

^ I was at that game, too bad I couldn't see myself.

Post #13 » by **mkwest** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:20 am

A few excerpts from blog entry #2

Then last week, when I was boarding the plane for our game in Fresno, I saw the big first class seat. They looked pretty nice so I was thinking, "Okay cool. I'm going to sit up in first class." I was about to sit down when Tim Thomas says, "No, no, no Rook. You're going to the back, Rook." So I'm going to the back and I get to the middle of the plane, and I found out that's where all of the coaches sit. So I keep walking down the aisle and it turns out I'm sitting in the very back, I'm talking like last seat back of the plane. It's just me, Mike Taylor and Eric Gordon. The seats would only recline like two inches. I'm tall, too so it was a bit of a tight squeeze back there. I just stuck my legs in the aisle and prayed the flight attendant didn't run me over with the cart.

So when we were in Fresno and we were playing the Lakers, I dunked over Chris Mihm. It was so fun and I was just really excited, so after I dunked I screamed? and got a technical. That quickly brought me back down to reality. At the moment it happened though, I wasn't really thinking. Rookie mistake, I guess. So after the game the vets were taunting me, saying things like, "That was a nice dunk but you got a tech! Yada yada yada." Then the next day at practice they were still making fun of me. One of the guys would shout out, "Hey, who's this? Who's this?" And then he'd dunk the ball and yell, "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrawwwww!" Yeah, that was me.

Another fan named Henry Price had more of a comment than a question, calling Marcus Camby and Brian Skinner "great mentors." He's absolutely right. Working with those guys has been really great. They let me know everything I need to know in order to be a great player. Some tricks that they know, like how there are many ways to be patient and not to be so quick because the game will come to you, that's what they're teaching me right now. I'm just trying to take every gift that I have and try and excel in it.

myClipper Nation

PerkinsFor3 · Post #14 » by **PerkinsFor3** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:47 pm

so...what do we have in jordan...and how many years before he cracks the rotation?

Post #15 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:57 pm

That's funny how the rookies had to sit at the back of the plane. If they're in coach they could at least be in the middle of the plane. But I'm sure LA to Fresno isn't that long of a flight.

Downtown · Post #16 » by **Downtown** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:14 pm

The answer to loots question is that you just don't know how he will turn out. As a Sonics fan I watched them draft Robert Swift, Johan Petro, and Saer Sene in successive drafts. None of the three has turned out to be what they hoped.

I'm not saying that Jordan will fall into that category but the fact is only time will tell.

But when I look at how high Swift and Sene were picked(both at #10), David Harrison(#17?) for the Pacers, who is now gone from them, and Patrick O'bryant for the Warriors(#8 and now with Boston), I think for a second round pick it was a great call by Dunleavy to get Jordan.

And there is a difference between him and the others I mentioned. Like Jordan said in his blog, both Camby and Skinner are giving him the veterans tutoring.

TheNewEra · Post #17 » by **TheNewEra** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:02 pm

lol at Tim Thomas "no no rook" I wish somebody would have taken a picture of Mike, Eric, and DeAndre all back there. :lol:

Great to know the chemistry is there as they are starting to feel comfortable enough to make fun of each other.

Post #18 » by **mkwest** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:48 pm

loot wrote:so...what do we have in jordan...and how many years before he cracks the rotation?

Time will tell. So far Dunleavy has been impressed with DJ during training camp. We're all hoping that Camby, Kaman, Skinner & assistant coach Kim Hughes have a positive effect on his development.

If everyone is healthy, I don't really see him cracking the primary rotation this season as he should be brought along slowly. He'll see some garbage minutes, and be rewarded with some pt if he's working hard (defense) in practice. I am personally hoping that he'll be able to be a productive contributor come 2010.

GuyverX · Post #19 » by **GuyverX** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:33 am

DJ is way too raw right now for serious minutes. He doesn't really have any type of offensive game other than dunks as far as I can see. Skinner is a safer bet out there so DJ will have to improve in a hurry if he wants to seriously contribute this season but that's not expected of him.

Downtown · Post #20 » by **Downtown** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:47 pm

The best thing for him will be to learn from the vets and hope to get in 8-10 minutes a game average. And if an injury or two hits then he will see more time.

He's young and inexperienced. But as a second round pick he seems just happy to be in the NBA. The role he is going to have this season is perfect for his development. If he can average 4 points and between 3-4 rebounds and a block per game that would be a great contribution considering how his playing time will probably go.