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With free agency approaching in the NBA offseason, the New York Knicks are expected to be key players in campaigns for multiple players. The Knicks have plenty of cap space to acquire two or three good players, but there isn’t a blockbuster free agent this summer that has been mentioned with much regard to the Knicks. However, recent reports have revealed turmoil between Los Angeles Clippers stars Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. Jordan is a free agent this summer, and the Knicks should be plotting a way to lure him across the country.
Paul is upset with Jordan’s lack of commitment toward improving his free throw shooting. Paul is known across the league as an extremely competitive player, and that trait can wear on teammates over the course of an 82-game season. As Paul has yet to advance out of the second round of the playoffs, his aggression and competitiveness may be crossing the line from positive to negative. He may be driving Jordan to want to leave Los Angeles this summer.
Knicks president Phil Jackson has said that his ideal center excels defensively. There are few centers in the NBA who are better defensively than Jordan. There are also few centers who are more athletic than Jordan. He has led the NBA in rebounds per game in each of the last two seasons (13.6, 15.0). He has led the NBA in field goal percentage in each of the last two seasons (67.6, 71). Jordan also led the NBA in defensive win shares this season (5.4). The numbers show that Jordan is Jackson’s ideal center.
Jordan thrived in the large Los Angeles market, so a jump to New York would not likely be a drastic one for him. If he were to join the Knicks, the likelihood of them trading their first-round pick could increase, since many believe their top targets to be big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. The Knicks could then trade their pick for a proven player on the perimeter, or they could hold onto the pick and select a perimeter player, such as D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay or Justise Winslow.
Carmelo Anthony is likely to spend a good amount of time at the four position, so it makes sense for the Knicks to have a premier rim-protector. They had that with Tyson Chandler, who could help make up for Anthony’s average-at-best defense. Jordan is very similar to Chandler in the way he communicates on defense. He is nearly always barking instruction and guidance to his teammates, serving as the anchor inside. The formula that the Knicks had with Chandler leading the defense resulted in 54 wins in the 2012-13 season.
If Jackson truly prefers defense-oriented centers, then he should be doing all he can to acquire Jordan. Only 26 years old, Jordan could be a key piece to the Knicks for years to come. Since Jordan is seeking a change of scenery, now is the time to make a move. Despite his free-throw woes, he is everything the Knicks need at center.
Patrick Piascik is an NBA writer the www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @patrickpiascik.
