Draft Prospect: DeAndre Jordan

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/deandre_jordan.jpg

Full Name: Hyland DeAndre Jordan, Jr.
Position: Center
Height/Weight: 7-0 / 260
Birthdate: July 21, 1988
High School: Christian Life Center Academy
College: Texas A&M

NBA (http://www.nba.com/draft2008/profiles/DeAndreJordan.html)
NBADraft.net (http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/deandrejordan.html)
DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/DeAndre-Jordan-1072/)

[mystargtr34]

The next Patrik O'Bryant.

[50 cent]

Coming from an Aggie, he's going to be a big time bust.

[MoSpur]

I don't think he'll make it.

[HOEmada]

Coming from another Aggie, The guy can just throw down dunks...thats pretty much it. He got pushed around by weak big 12 centers, and has no game outside of 4 feet. He should have stayed for one more year atleast

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

He's a freak athletically, and some team will coach him into a serviceable player.

He's basically at the same point now that Bynum was when he was 18.

And it ain't like he got any big man coaching from Turgeon...

But he won't be available unless we move up into the top 10.

[lefty]

The next Patrik O'Bryant.

Jordan?
O'Bryant ?

Stop with the Jordan-Bryant comparisons please :D

Jordan > O'Bryant

[K-State Spur]

i think his career arc will be fairly similar to Diop's. His first team will likely be disappointed with their results, then somebody will buy low on him and he will be a serviceable shot-blocker/rebounder.

[spursfan98]

i think his career arc will be fairly similar to Diop's. His first team will likely be disappointed with their results, then somebody will buy low on him and he will be a serviceable shot-blocker/rebounder.

BOOO.... Hes an aggie
Plus hes a lottery pick... forget it

[angelbelow]

some say he has the mold of dwight, i wonder why hes so bad?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

some say he has the mold of dwight, i wonder why hes so bad?

He basically hasn't gotten any coaching in his life. "Just go down, post up, and we'll throw it up to you, you're taller than everyone."

[spursfan98]

should have stayed another year there but i dont blame him. 1 year in college station is enough:sleep

[HeyIt'sMe]

Jordan isn't near Howard. Does anyone really think to what Dwight Howard would of done in college had the age limit been implemented earlier? He averaged a double double as an NBA rookie for crying out loud.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Howard is an exception to the rule.

Jordan's comparison is probably Bynum.

[timvp]

Jordan's comparison is probably Bynum.ROFL. If his comparison was Bynum he'd be a top five draft pick. Jordan has athleticism and size but there's a 60/40 chance he's a bust.

With the way Wright and Law have worked out, I don't think anyone is going to be sprinting to take Jordan. A team will take him between 8 and 15 and just pray he figures it out.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

This guy has bust written all over him. He had a terrible workout in Memphis against Kevin Love, Joey Dorsey and JaVale McGee.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/09/grizzlies-continue-workouts-who-do-you-think-they-/

Jordan had the most difficult workout among the big men. He underwhelmed greatly in endurance, defense and low-post scoring. Jordan missed a dunk and shot an air ball free throw.
I just can't see how everybody projects this guy so high. It's almost mind boggling to me. He was terrible in college. Draftexpress has him at #10 to the Nets? Unbelievable. Still, if you're going to gamble on someone, you might as well gamble on a young seven footer with serious athletic ability. I would love for him to fall to the Spurs and stick him in the d-league for a year. No way it happens, but he's been so awful so far, you just never know.

[Ocotillo]

Air ball at the free throw line, he has Spur written all over him.

Seriously,


if you're going to gamble on someone, you might as well gamble on a young seven footer with serious athletic ability

that has always been the case in this league. He will get drafted hihger than he should.

[MoSpur]

The guy lost significant weight before going into the pre-draft camp. I don't know if that helped him.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

ROFL. If his comparison was Bynum he'd be a top five draft pick. Jordan has athleticism and size but there's a 60/40 chance he's a bust.

With the way Wright and Law have worked out, I don't think anyone is going to be sprinting to take Jordan. A team will take him between 8 and 15 and just pray he figures it out.

The comparison with Bynum I'm making is that he hasn't really gotten any coaching to this point.

DJ won't walk onto an NBA court next year and be a rotation player, it's just not in the cards. But if he lands somewhere with decent big men coaches, or a decent big to tutor under, he'll be a player.

Turgeon and his staff had never had a kid over 6'8" to coach before, they didn't have a clue how to utilize him or coach him up.

[K-State Spur]

Well the kid isn't skinny, and legit 7 footers have always been of hight value.

Except he's not. Was under 6'10 at the camp.

He does have an enormous wingspan though.

[K-State Spur]

Turgeon and his staff had never had a kid over 6'8" to coach before, they didn't have a clue how to utilize him or coach him up.

They didn't?

Wichita folks must have imagined Paul Miller (6'10) going from unheralded red-shirted recruit to MVC player of the year as a senior.

[timvp]

Jordan is still basically living off of his high school hype when it comes to this draft. He was a top three NBA prospect heading into the college basketball season. Someone is going to dig up his high school tapes and take him in the top 15.

[timvp]

One GM cautions that Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan (7-0, 260) is so lacking in skills he could drop out of the first round. That probably won't happen, though, because he is very athletic.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19793638&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21848&rfi=6


Hopefully the Spurs have worked out Jordan so they can make a call if he's on the board at 26. He'd be a good value pick that late, however he'd have to be open to the idea of spending time in Austin.

[taps]

overrated

[remingtonbo2001]

Kwame Brown 2.0

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA-624-8.jordandraft.en.3224da7c.html

NBA: A&M's Jordan brings highs and lows to draft
By Brent Zwerneman
Express-News Staff Writer

COLLEGE STATION — When he was a struggling college player — both financially and on the basketball court — DeAndre Jordan spoke of plans for his future NBA paycheck.

“I’d like to open a recreation center back home,” said Jordan, who grew up in Houston’s Third Ward. “I’d like to provide things that I and others around me didn’t have growing up.”

Only three months removed from his freshman season at Texas A&M, Jordan, 19, is about to earn his chance for some youthful philanthropy.

Jordan, a 7-foot center with loads of potential and nearly as much risk based on his immaturity, is projected as a mid-to-late first-round selection in Thursday’s NBA draft.

As Memphis Grizzlies director of player personnel Tony Barone Sr. told reporters after a recent Jordan workout, “You can’t teach 7 (foot).”

True, but a team also will have a tall project on its hands. Jordan started only 21 of 35 games last season for the Aggies and was prone to bouts of pouting and unpredictable play in averaging 20 minutes per contest.

One NBA scout described Jordan’s play as simply “silly” last season. One instant, Jordan would thrill fans with a rafter-scraping tomahawk dunk, the next he’d hang his head on the bench, refusing to stand and yell with his teammates.

Barone, an A&M coach in the mid-1990s, described Jordan as “tending to settle a little bit” when he received the ball in the lane during the workout, as opposed to taking it aggressively to the basket.

Jordan, rated by Rivals.com as the No. 2 center in the nation out of high school a year ago, told 8reporters after the recent Memphis workout that he’s aware of his deficiencies.

“I need to work on my free-throw shooting and my perimeter jump shot,” he said. “I can’t just stay in the post the whole time — I have to work on my 12-foot jump shot.”

While Jordan shot a team-high 61.7 percent from the field for the Aggies, most of his attempts were within a couple of feet of the basket. He also shot a team-low 43.7 percent from the free-throw line. Big 12 teams quickly figured out the best way to limit his value: limit him to awkward set shots 15 feet from the basket.

Still, Jordan owns the athleticism and a sturdy trunk — much of his 260 pounds is in his lower body — built for the rigors of the NBA. A workout video from the Grizzlies’ Web site sums up both the peril and intrigue of Jordan, who turns 20 next month.

In the clip, Barone beckons Jordan to, “Let’s go, let’s go, DeAndre!” while executing a fast break, and in the end tells him, “Way to run.”

Jordan’s ability to run the floor — when he so desires — is a large part of his attraction, which is why some forecasts have the New Jersey Nets selecting him 10th or the Indiana Pacers a pick later.

Should the Nets choose him 10th, he’ll become the highest A&M player taken in the draft. A year ago, the Atlanta Hawks chose Acie Law 11th. Three years ago, the Nets chose Antoine Wright 15th.

For all of his inexperience and inconsistency, Jordan has made strides in the past year. First-year A&M coach Mark Turgeon first sized up Jordan’s raw talent a year ago.

“My first impressions of him as a player was, ‘Holy smokes, if this kid is one of the top players in the country, we’ve got problems,’.” Turgeon once said of Jordan. “I was worried everybody was going to think I was the worst coach in America. I thought, ‘Oh, man, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’.”

Jordan occasionally showed flashes of an intriguing future, for instance when he grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked six shots against Baylor. Despite a so-so first year, when he played sparingly in the NCAA tournament, much of the NBA draft is about potential.

And Jordan owns 7 feet of that.

Offered A&M teammate Joseph Jones, who spent the past four seasons bumping up against some of the Big 12’s best big men: “I haven’t seen a 7-footer as athletic as he is.”

[Marcus Bryant]

“My first impressions of him as a player was, ‘Holy smokes, if this kid is one of the top players in the country, we’ve got problems,’.” Turgeon once said of Jordan. “I was worried everybody was going to think I was the worst coach in America. I thought, ‘Oh, man, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’.”

Jordan might just fall to the Spurs. If they're interested...

[Ocotillo]

This guy will be at the end of his first contract before he shows his potential, or not.

At 26, you have him playing in Austin for probably 2 years.

[lotr1trekkie]

What kind of HS is a Christian Life Center Academy. Is it like Oak Hill with religion. Did they play in the elite league like Cornerstone wanted to do.? Hopefully Mahimni is ready for some regular minutes this year.

[Marcus Bryant]

So basically you have an athletic 19 year old 7 footer who can run the floor and dunk. At 26 that wouldn't be a stretch.

If Chalmers is off the board, then the Spurs wouldn't be selecting for immediate help at 26. Spurs could put him on the Mahinmi plan and let him spend next season learning the game with the Toros.

[K-State Spur]

So basically you have an athletic 19 year old 7 footer who can run the floor and dunk. At 26 that wouldn't be a stretch.


No, you have an athletic 6'9.5er.

[The Truth #6]

Sounds like a career D-league All Star.

[Marcus Bryant]

No, you have an athletic 6'9.5er.


That would be an athletic 6'11"-er. With a 7'6" wingspan.


DeAndre Jordan came in an inch short at 6-11, but has an outrageous 7-6 wingspan and 9-5 ½ standing reach that more than compensates. He jumped poorly at 30.5 inches, lifted the bar 8 times, and ran the drills in 12.3 and 3.27 seconds.

link (http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Entire-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements,-Combine-Results-Released-2911/)

[K-State Spur]

That would be an athletic 6'11"-er. With a 7'6" wingspan.



link (http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Entire-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements,-Combine-Results-Released-2911/)

He does have a wingspan like a condor, but he came in under 6'10 at the combine:

http://www.mynbadraft.com/NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements/

Jordan's 6'11 measurement is with shoes.

Not that it really matters at the end of the day. I'd rather have a shorter guy with a huge wingspan than a taller guy with T-Rex arms.

[Pistons < Spurs]

DeAndre Jordan Impresses Big Time in Private Workouts

As a result of my continuous efforts to obtain the latest inside information, it is now this writer’s opinion that DeAndre Jordan has substantially impressed teams with how well he has presented himself in private workouts (with Sacramento and Phoenix) and his stock is on the rise!

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Word-on-the-Street-Last-Minute-Workouts-2942/

[Marcus Bryant]

Oh, what the Draftniks would have said about a 19 year old David Robinson...

[Marcus Bryant]

Wasn't DRob 5'4" tall when he was 19 years old?

[K-State Spur]

Oh, what the Draftniks would have said about a 19 year old David Robinson...

wasn't he only 6'7 at the time?

[Marcus Bryant]

I guess. The point is, it's a bit ridiculous to assume this guy will be a bust here at age 19.

As far as 7 footers go, are there any who could possibly be available to the Spurs with that kind of athleticism? we aren't expecting someone to come out of the draft and drop 20 points a night, are we?

[Marcus Bryant]

The guy is pretty freaking crazy athletic. 19 years old. Did DRob have a post game?

[Marcus Bryant]

The Kid's all right. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGW0zoGGpvQ)

[T Park]

Aggie's assessment of him gave me a bit of pause, but this seems like a kid you stash in Austin for a year or two and see if he develops.

[T Park]

The Kid's all right. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGW0zoGGpvQ)


Oh my dear god.....

[Spurtacus]

His got size....where's his game?

[Marcus Bryant]

His got size....where's his game?

He's 19. DRob was just learning Topology back then.

[T Park]

Yeah that's a lot of athleticism in that size of frame.

Would be hard to pass up on that kind of player.

Would be awesome to pull a Jordan and a Chalmers.

[Marcus Bryant]

Gig (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN2RoJD3dx8&feature=related)

[Marcus Bryant]

'em (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhHvpjK8R0&NR=1)

[Spurtacus]

freakish athletic ability for a big man (ala Dwight Howard). But, players need to do more than dunk the ball.

James White could also fly...

[Marcus Bryant]

How many bigs can fly v. wings?

[Spurtacus]

I think you missed my point. Athletic dunking doesn't translate to NBA success (most of the time).

[Marcus Bryant]

I think you missed my point. Athletic dunking doesn't translate to NBA success (most of the time).

Perhaps. How many 19 year old 7 footers look like that?

[Spurtacus]

Perhaps. How many 19 year old 7 footers look like that?

Not very many. Dwight Howard is looking pretty good. Howard was also the #1 pick.

[Marcus Bryant]

Not very many. Dwight Howard is looking pretty good. Howard was also the #1 pick.

True. Maybe this kid needs a little more time.

[K-State Spur]

He's a lot like Bill Walker in the sense that - if you draft him - your basically not helping next year's (or probably even the year after's) team at all.

If you want to compete for another championship in the Duncan/Ginobili era, you'd have to make some very solid moves in free agency (possible) or in the trade market (less likely) to add another horse or two to the stable.

But, guys like Walker/Jordan have the athleticism that cannot be taught. Unlike most of the other players available towards the end of the draft, they have the POTENTIAL (nothing more) to be teamed with Parker and pick up where Duncan/Manu left off.

The risk is extremely high, but the the ceilings are higher than all but the top 3 or 4 picks overall.

[DPG21920]

My best hope is that both Greene and Batum are on the board by the time Houston and the #25 rolls around, that way we are guaranteed at least one of those players.