Doc Didn't Want KG/DJ Swap, DJ on "Another Level" Defensivel

[mttwlsn16]

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-ba ... ther-level

A lot of fans wonder why DeAndre Jordan is considered such a big deal. Why was he given a four-year, $43 million offer the Clippers matched two years ago? Why is he talked about in such a big terms for a big man who isn't a great rebounder, isn't an elite defender, and is a liability on offense at times due to bad free throw shooting? The reality is that league experts see his potential, see what he could be, what he's becoming, and what his size allows him to be.

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[TheNewEra]

There sure is a hell of a lot of extra pressure going in this season for the team overall.

[mkwest]

There sure is a hell of a lot of extra pressure going in this season for the team overall.

Hopefully it's a good thing and it forces the players to do something that they didn't necessarily know they were capable of.

[og15]

DJ doesn't need to be on another level defensively even, he just needs to be good. If DJ is good defensively, that changes the whole prognosis of the team.

[madmaxmedia]

I like that Rivers wanted DJ on the team.

I am wondering what kind of defensive scheme he is gonna install, to take advantage of what our players are good at, and minimize the deficiencies. DJ is awesome help defender, but less so 1-on-1. With a good defensive coach though, you could maximize DJ on the court.

[FlopShow2013]

What did you guys expected him to say..."I wanted to KG in place of DJ". LMAO...Doc is great manipulator, he is kind of person that goes with the flow...

[og15]

FlopShow, actually the situation is that he wanted to keep DJ while trading for KG. This was already reported in summer while things were going down.

[og15]

I like that Rivers wanted DJ on the team.

I am wondering what kind of defensive scheme he is gonna install, to take advantage of what our players are good at, and minimize the deficiencies. DJ is awesome help defender, but less so 1-on-1. With a good defensive coach though, you could maximize DJ on the court.

Blake said it last season and again in training camp that a constantly changing defense was a problem last year.

It seems like the biggest issue last season was continuously changing defensive principles, and I think it frustrated the players. It caused confusion that the team was changing its defense every game. Now of course you need to adjust to opponent abilities, but that differs from changing the defense to match the opponent each game. It caused confusion, and seemingly it was an issue for DJ more so than some others.

[Durins Baynes]

Come on, do people really believe this? I mean, of course Doc is going to say this now that the deal fell through, but that doesn't mean we should believe it. I hope it motivates Jordan, but I don't believe it for a second.

[og15]

"I couldn't get involved in that whole thing," Rivers said. "That was the strangest thing in the world. I was seeing the trade talks and I was saying, 'Wait a minute! We don't want to give away that guy!' We wanted that other guy too. That was the home run to get both.

Doc was trying to have the Clippers get KG AND keep Jordan. The only reason he would conceive on KG is the obvious, age and championship window. If DJ pans out, it's a lot larger than 1-2 years of KG. He was/did sign a long term deal, and it was a 56 win with DJ already.

Doc isn't saying he didn't want to trade for KG, and neither is the article. He's saying he wanted to trade for KG and still have DJ

[Joker]

Doc is talking about Jordan like he's a rookie 18-year-old Dwight Howard. Jordan is 25 and entering his 6th season...

[LACtdom]

Doc is talking about Jordan like he's a rookie 18-year-old Dwight Howard. Jordan is 25 and entering his 6th season...

only his 1st season under a good defensive coach though. No doubt KG still is the better player even with his old age and injuries however if we gave up DJ and didn't win a chip in the next two years with KG then we would be in a worse position.

[Ranma]

Encouraging article regarding DeAndre Jordan's early progress. I recommend reading the whole thing as I can't quote everything noteworthy from the piece.

Eric Patten, Clippers.com (11/1/13)

When Andrew Bogut fouled Jordan under the basket in Thursday’s 126-115 win over the Warriors, Jordan took exception and shoved the hard-nosed Australian center in the chest. He barked at him with vitriol. Bogut shoved back and Jordan never receded. They were both assessed, or awarded, technical fouls.

“I like the fight, but I don’t like the fighting,” Rivers said.

“He’s too good for us on the other end [to not put him back in],” Rivers said. “I told him, ‘If you miss two, get a stop and they don’t gain anything.’ He’s just playing so well and doing so many things. I keep telling him, ‘Don’t let missed free throws side track you. You’ve been one of the most dominant forces on the floor. So what? Everybody’s got a weakness.’”

Jordan has talked all month about meeting Rivers’ challenges head on. He is perhaps the best center in the game at running the floor, but he is not running from anything Rivers or his staff throw at him. He holds teammates accountable, has grasped Rivers’ defensive concepts quicker than anyone, and seems more mature than he did even five months ago.

DeAndre Jordan Playing His Best Basketball

[Woodsanity]

DJ has been doing a great job so far on the defensive end and rebounding. The problem is that other players are not doing a good job defensively outside of maybe CP3. Our team needs more time to adjust I guess. Also our bench bigs are putrid defensively.