Clippers- DeAndre Jordan made a move, drove to his right, then finished with his right hand on a baby hook. Then, he did it again, and again.
Everyone knows the Clippers’ center can dunk, and he did that with ferocity Monday night against the Suns, but the left-hander also regularly made drives he said he would’ve never even tried months ago, often finishing with his right. “I’ve tried for the last two years to convince him to shoot free throws right-handed,” said J.J. Redick, completely seriously. “I really have.” Redick then listed a bevy of reasons for that, explaining that Jordan jumps off his left foot, which is something most right-handed people do. More obviously, there’s what Jordan showed off Monday night while scoring 17 points. “He shoots every single jump hook – and tonight, running hook – with his right hand,” Redick said. “He finishes around the basket with his right hand. He’s really good at it.” “He’s left-handed, but…” head coach Doc Rivers started, before cutting himself off. Maybe Rivers isn’t sure. Ask Redick, and he’d say Jordan’s better with his right. Anyone watching Jordan throw out the first pitch at the Angels game this summer would probably say the same, as the center delivered a strike while tossing the pitch with his right arm. Somebody get a watchful eye on Mark Cuban immediately. That man can't be trusted around any type of rope or blunt objects for the next 24 hours. First one of the best rebounders and finishers in basketball slipped though his hands in free agency, then Adam Silver said he has plans to alter the rules regarding intentional fouls, and now DeAndre Jordan has learned that he's actually right handed?! He just doubled his on-court value and he didn't even have to do anything other than start shooting with the correct hand. Can't believe we didn't notice this before. Spent all this time thinking that DJ can't make a foul shot because it's impossible for him to put touch on the ball with his big ass mitts, and it turns out it was just the wrong big ass mitt. Just using his freakishly large, unquestionably clumsy left hand to palm a basketball like King Kong palmed his human girlfriend when all the skill and finesse has been in his right hand the whole time. Laugh all you want, but Happy learned how to putt, and I am pretty sure that means it's not impossible that DeAndre just learned how to create offense. Maybe he's not ready to start commanding double teams in the post quite yet, but he appears ready to contribute on the offensive end without his hand touching the rim, and that's a stark improvement from his first 7.5 years in the NBA. Don't tell J.J. Redick he's not prepared to take up a career in coaching when his playing days are over. Don't tell him he's nothing more than a deadly accurate three point shooter. He just did what no coach before has been able to do. He diagnosed the problem with one of the worst foul shooters in the entire league. Sure, all he did was make a blatantly obvious observation, but he was the first person to make that blatantly obvious observation. That's got to count for something, right? It might seem ridiculous that J.J. Redick is sincerely telling another player which of his hands is dominant, but can you tell me the last time you have seen DeAndre Jordan confidently nail a running skyhook with his left hand? Didn't think so.
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