PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers made a savvy move in the buyout market by bringing in 14-year veteran DeAndre Jordan on a deal after he was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers have been in need of some size off their bench and the team brought in Jordan to be the guy.
Jordan is a former All-Star in 2017 and he was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2016. While Jordan is clearly not that player anymore, the Sixers are hoping that he can give the team some energy off the bench with his size and his ability to rebound and block shots.
With that being said, coach Doc Rivers is not yet ready to anoint him as the backup center. Although, he does have experience with him with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“We’ve got a bunch of backup centers now,” said Rivers. “So, he’s just one of them, but it’s great to have him. I know him from a long time ago. I hope he can recapture the lob city days. That would be fantastic for us. We just needed size. Getting him should be good for us.”
Another thing that Jordan could be good for is being a veteran presence for the younger guys on the roster. For example, he can pull Charles Bassey and Paul Reed aside and continue to teach them along the way and give them pointers.
“He also has a history of this past for a guy like Charles,” Rivers added. “You can actually watch tape of and show Charles, this is what you can be with better offense. That’s what I told Charles. Guys like that are very helpful for your young players.”
The Jordan in 2022 is not the same player he was in 2016. He was only averaging 4.1 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Lakers in the 2021-22 season after averaging 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2020-21 season. He only played 57 games with the Nets and 32 for the Lakers.
“It’s funny, getting him, and honestly, I don’t know what DJ is gonna bring us,” Rivers continued. “He hasn’t played a lot over the last couple of years, but I know he’s big. You’re either 7-feet tall or you’re not and he is.”
He is expected to join the Sixers when they go to Miami on Saturday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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