http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....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.”
Jordan might just fall to the Spurs. If they're interested...“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.’.”
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.
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.
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.
No, you have an athletic 6'9.5er.
Sounds like a career D-league All Star.
That would be an athletic 6'11"-er. With a 7'6" wingspan.
link
He does have a wingspan like a condor, but he came in under 6'10 at the combine:
http://www.mynbadraft.com/NBA-Draft-...-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.
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/...Workouts-2942/
Oh, what the Draftniks would have said about a 19 year old David Robinson...
Wasn't DRob 5'4" tall when he was 19 years old?
wasn't he only 6'7 at the time?
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?
The guy is pretty freaking crazy athletic. 19 years old. Did DRob have a post game?
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.
Oh my dear god.....
His got size....where's his game?
He's 19. DRob was just learning Topology back then.
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.
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...
How many bigs can fly v. wings?
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