As a die-hard Dallas Mavericks fan, it’s very difficult for me to like the guy I’m about to tell you all to draft for fantasy this season. During the off-season, DeAndre Jordan committed to jump ship and leave the Los Angles Clippers to sign with the Mavs. If you haven’t been living under a rock over the last few months, you know how this story played out and why I may be a bit sour about it. Anyways, Jordan is the Center that I suggest everyone target in the upcoming NBA fantasy drafts because he’s an absolute fantasy beast.
It’s strange to think that Jordan is coming into his eighth NBA season for the Clippers. His first five years weren’t that impressive, but his last couple have been ultra-fantasy relevant. Over the last two seasons, Jordan has averaged 10.9 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. The obvious giant elephant in the room statistically is his dreadful free-throw percentage of 41 percent for his career. With a career 66 percent field goal percentage, I can look past his horrid free throw shooting. His stats alone should have you salivating and wanting more this year, but there’s more.
Jordan is what we all look for in a classic fantasy center, he grabs tons of head-to-head category stats. Playing in “Lob City” also makes me want to scoop him up in drafts as well. Chris Paul is a premium level passer and will be dishing the rock to Jordan on a nightly basis. Fellow big man Blake Griffin takes a lot of pressure off of Jordan allowing him to grab even more rebounds and put backs on the offensive end. He’s also surrounded with some great veteran talents in Jamal Crawford and Paul Pierce to help guide him in the right direction. The Clippers as a unit are primed for a major fantasy/reality season and I’m jumping aboard the train this year.
I firmly believe that this season will be Jordan’s best one yet. After being snubbed from the All-Star game last season, he will be the starter this year at center. Mark my words, the man has something to prove. Career numbers for Jordan are coming to L.A. this year and you all will want to be on board with me. I fully expect his numbers to be at around 15 points, 17 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. You’re not going to find a better big man with these types of fantasy projections for 2015-16.
Yes, you can go out and draft guys like Marc Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins, but they won’t be near as fun to root for as Jordan. Gasol usually is injured at least once every season and Cousins falls under the “I play for a crappy team” category for me. When I enter any of my drafts, whether it be for football or basketball, I almost always grab guys who play on winning teams. This year the Clippers will be a top three team in the stacked Western Conference, hence just another reason to draft Jordan.
Believe in DeAndre this year guys, I know you’ve like him in the past, but you’ll love him even more this season. Join me and bask in fantasy glory as you ride the DeAndre Jordan train all the way to a fantasy basketball championship.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
