Prime DeAndre Jordan’s defense on unanimous MVP Steph Curry (2016)
people forget DJ’s positioning was what made him elite — not just the athleticism. the way he shuffled his feet to stay in front of guards was insane for a 6’11 center
Awesome lateral quickness for a guy his size
If only he could hit a free throw.
wait how did dj keep up witth curry at his peak
Yeah I mostly watched him on the Nuggets…every one of those plays he would’ve fouled lol
Prime DJ was the definition of being a “star in your role.” He had no problem never touching the ball unless he’s catching lobs or grabbing rebounds off the rim.
Doc Rivers told a story about this on the Bill Simmons podcast last week. He said when he first got to LA he sat down with DJ and DJ was frustrated he didn’t have a bigger role in the offense and he wanted to score more. Doc told him I’ll never call a play for you, you’ll succeed by playing defense and rebounding and the offensive stuff will always be secondary.
Seems to have worked pretty well and a pretty good reminder of why players love Doc even if he’s questionable as an X’s and O’s guy. Then again he bullshits a lot so maybe that story is made up lol
Doc ran the first play of the game for DJ a lot of the time.
I felt like it was always a JJ Redick 3pt attempt as the first play
Maybe they compromised.
“Ok, you get ONE”
DJ was on the Zach Lowe Show recently, and he said he had this same talk with Mitchell Robinson when he played for the Knicks
And he was specially good at it. just throw him to ball anywhere near the rim and he would dunk it. Even if he wasn’t as tall as Wemby today, but he made up with athleticism.
Most stars today would kill to have a center like him, Luka is on top of that list.
I need prime DJ on the Celtics. It’s been so long since we’ve had a truly elite rebounding center.
JT is the tape that holds our rebounding together.
They had a version of DJ and let him walk in order to play 5 out offensel. They need to resign Robert Williams. They even went to the same college lol.
That’s a great idea until you realize that DJ is less injury prone right now than Rob was at 22 years old.
Seemed pretty healthy last year in Portland
He looked good in the 59 games he played, but they both limited his minutes and sat him on back to backs to keep him healthy. Boston managed to make due with Queta and Garza, but may have been tempted to play rw3 more and lead to another injury.
make do
He played in 59 games in smaller increments than we need.
Dont get me wrongI would love to have Timelord back, but as our second stringer.
Cenac
I Hope So. I Was Super Hyped He Fell 7-10 Spots Lol
Trade Brown for Duren.
Can I interest you in 1 Andre Drummond.
As a bench big? Honestly yes.
What would you give up for him though?
Apparently schierman and Hugo are too much for Giannis I don’t know what Brad would give up for drum.
Well I’m curious what his stat line was that game because they are definitely winning
NBA Wednesday, this game was 3/23/16. Deandre had 19⁄20 w/ 2 Blocks. Warriors ended up winning 114-98
Steph ended up with 33/4/5 w/ 3 steals, shooting 12⁄23 from the field and 4⁄10 from 3
Ok so a few good clips making it seem as though DJ was a curry stopper lol they maybe wanted him to guard curry from opening tip then
What a weird take away from this. All it’s saying is he’s able to switch onto the most lethal perimeter player of the time. “Maybe let the C guard the PG from tip durr” lmao
Well why not include multiple clips of him sliding his feet against other great iso players. Like James Harden, kd, or even lebron. He chose curry specifically. If it was a DJ post exclusive of Curry to highlight his athletic ability, then cool, but why only show him matched up with and only versus curry
I think you’re taking this as a targeted attack on curry when it’s just a short compilation from one game on a random Wednesday with two players and an unexpected outcome
No one with any sense should leave this video thinking Deandre is Curry’s kryptonite
I don’t think that’s what he’s saying but if you put together a highlight tape it’s usually multiple scenarios against multiple teams, players, or situations. So a highlight of one person is usually a low light of another. My point is why choose specifically curry?
Because curry was the best in the league so it’s really impressive
I would have to go back and watch, but if those possessions were all the times they matched up that game, than Deandre did his job
Could’ve been one of those things where Steph was torching every one else. Stats don’t tell the full story either way
I don’t think those are the only times curry got a switch on Jordan. I’m sure they switched off more than that but yes he was athletic but whoever posted that clip is framing it like he’s a curry stopper
There’s literally no such thing as a curry stopper. Are you new or something??
Please read the above comments before you say wild things. Trust me I know they’re is no curry stopper I’m asking why did he make this video as if DJ is a curry stopper
lmao, really locked him down
DJ (center) obviously wasn’t the primary defender on Steph Curry (PG). 😂
The clip is showing his impressive lateral quickness. The title isn’t “Look how DJ stops Steph and the Clippers destroy the Warriors”
Prime skyfucker, how the fuck do you lock it down.
Like three of these clips didn’t even show the end of the possession or shot attempt lol
No way you think DeAndre Jordan was Steph’s primary defender in this game.
The Clippers lost every game played against the Warriors from like 2015 until just before Blake was traded in early 2018. The Lou Williams and Tyrone Wallace game. We play them four times each year and none of those losses were particularly close.
All started after that year the Clippers beat them in the playoffs.
Warriors took that series personally. 7 game series the year after the warriors pulled off the 8-1 upset on the nuggets and showed life against that dominant spurs team at the end of their dynasty.
Yeah, it was fun watching them build up to what they became in 2015. I had that series vs Denver saved on my computer. Curry was just amazing that series.
Yup
Underrated one sided rivalry. I HATED the warriors
The way Steph played I can believe he hated you back tbh
Valid
Alright so DeAndre played well here but I feel the need to add some caveats:
A big part of this is the value of good help, the Clippers played quite good team defence here and the Warriors spacing was poor.
This is one bad game, the warriors played the Clippers 3 other times that season. Curry had 31, 33 and 40 in those games, on very good efficiency.
lmao it’s okay to say he got clamped up brother
Curry had 33/4/5 on 52 and 40 Splits.
We watching literal footage of a matchup and you’re bringing up game stats
Yes, because context matters more than random clips strewn together.
yeah not enough noncontextual stats for you
Truly the most backwards take
a few out of context plays are less informative than the game’s statline.
would you rather scout players from stats or footage?
Do scouts not care about stats?
of course they do but they value character and skillset which you need footage and interviews for. Of the MVPs this decade, how many were just statistical outliers before getting drafted?
Not to mention that less than a minute of tape != “footage”, at least not in the context that actual scouting needs to derive from. If you just look at a few curated snippets or highlights, pretty much any player’s going to look like a stud.
All things considered the “context” is that these clips are 5+ possessions in one game against prime Steph Curry lmao.
As a coach, I would see this and say “maybe he’s a 5 that would be capable of switching or at least hedging hard in pick & rolls” which would be something to build from in defensive planning.
If you literally could only choose between an entire game’s stats and a few clips of footage then I absolutely would scout based on stats.
no coincidence to me that NBA viewership has dropped with the rise of data led team construction. Everyone looks for the same stats and constructs essentially the same team
Yea cause in this game he dhot 52 from the floor, 40 from 3, and had 33.
All we’re seeing is the plays he didnt score on
the title of the video is highlighting a specific matchup. If anything it highlights DJ’s defensive versatility if he can play this many possessions on Steph
Sure, doubt these are all clips but sure. Plus, a lot is more help defense than anything. Dj did fine
He’s a True 5 getting switched onto an all time perimeter player, doing fine is better than most Centers lmao
Not denying that. You are talking about how he locked him up, which is just a bit of an exaggeration. All good
fair I was being disingenuous
Exactly everything else he mentioned was irrelevant, we talking about Deandre Jordan guarding Steph in this game. Not how Steph performed in previous clippers matchups or or how he performed against anyone else in this game. Stop moving the goal post.
Everyone is acting like he held curry down.
Context is important
The entire premise of the clip is predicated on how good Curry is. That’s what makes DJ getting low and staying disciplined on him impressive, and part of what made him a great defender in his athletic prime. That the guy at the top would read it otherwise and feel the need to well actually and shadowbox is very odd and intensely stannish.
That’s my center
DJ only does 3 things, dunk, rebound, and protect the rim, and he was one of the most elite at them in his prime. If he added his late career free throws improvement in his prime, lob city clippers would have gone further.
Does not surprise me at all. He is not the best offensive center, but DJ moves his feet incredibly good for a big man. Very well coordinated too.
And he is one of the most underrated great teammates / good guy in league history. He just seems chill and happy all the time.
he doesn’t even look like a center when he’s doing that. Looks like a 6’4 perimeter stopper.
If he can teach the Pelicans to defend like his, look out!
He’s easy to forget because he was pretty inept on offense. I had to look up his stats, dude was an absolute beast in his prime. Stalwart defensively
Legit had people argue with me when I said the CP3/Griffin/Jordan/Crawford Clippers would destroy the 2026 Knicks.
They were making it to the playoffs with Prime Steph, Prime LeBron/DWade, Dirk, KD/Westbrook, Houston Harden, Tony Parker Spurs, Kobe Lakers. The whole league had star players.
Dude said Jamal Crawford lmao gtfo Knicks in 5
Man I’m a C’s fan but Deandre and Blake Griffin being as massive as they are with insane verticals was maybe the most fun team to watch in my lifetime.
Random story I saw DeAndre Jordan at Paradise Cove beach in Malibu. It was him, another guy and two women who seemed to be gfs for each guy. This was in like 2016. No security or anything like that, they just set up at a random spot, the beach was pretty busy and there were plenty of people set up close to them but from when I was watching no one bothered them. They seemed and acted so normal except the fact that he was HUGE compared to everyone.
Another reason why Jordan is the GOAT
as a dubs fan who watched those series live… DJ was genuinely terrifying on that end. 2016 Steph was a cheat code and DJ was one of the few guys who could make him work for everything. people only remember the lobs but his footwork was elite
I remember arguing with people around this time that were adamant Gobert was a better perimeter defender than DJ
Wemby was looking like a baby giraffe guarding OG.
A preview of what happened of the last warriors possession in the finals game 7, curry v love.
People almost forgot he was all nba first team
Steph had like 30 points this game lol
So…?
It’s an example of DJs impressive lateral quickness and ability to hold up during switches.
I don’t understand all the Warriors fans feeling the need to defend Steph here like “Steph is still better than Deandre Jordan!!!” Of course he is. Steph is insane and we can all literally see the score.
Comfortable lead throughout
People will downvote me but curry with no illegal screens has no bag. And cant even get to the playoffs without a stacked roster.
Lol
He literally won a championship with Wiggins as his second option. Be serious
Tbf Wiggins was amazing that playoff run
Other than the Celtics completely choking that was a super down year for competition and wiggings showed out. Did they even make the playoffs the year after??
Edit
Yes they did lost in 2nd round
Huh??? No bag. He frequently takes guys off iso . Like every game. And gets where he wants most times
It’s a double-edged sword. Curry gets grabbed and held by the defense more than anyone I’ve seen.
Your comment is a little hyperbolic but he might be the most ovrrerated player in history. Never seen a guy get so much credit for missing games, being a low tier defender, and missing the playoffs. Guys pr is unmatched
Name one other guy who’s been a reliable no.1 option in the last 25 years that isn’t LeBron or Kobe.
Literally any fmvp over the past 25 years. They would have just as much as curry or more. Name an all time great that took 7 years to get to that level
What are your talking about? Jaylen brown? Iggy?SGA? None of them on curry’s level.
SGA is 27 with the same amount of MVPs and fmvps as curry. He can get there. You tried to cherry pick people and it still didn’t work
He also has as many first team selections as curry does in his entire career btw
‘Cherry pick’ you’re the one that said ‘any’ so I brought evidence, guess you didn’t like that. Patrick Ewing has the same first team selections as Deandre Jordan tf is your point? The fact is no one since curry came to the league, besides LeBron, has consistently lead their team to success. Who tf cares that he bloomed late you’re just hating for no reason lmao.
How are you leading with one finals mvp and Kevin fucking Durant as your 1A/1B. KD snatched two of his finals mvps. Thats not leading to the degree of LeBron. Curry is probably the goat team player ever or the fits around him have been all time great, he just doesn’t have the individual accolades that a lot of other greats have. I literally have him 11-12 all time. That’s not unreasonable
Secondly comparing SGA and curry to pat Ewing and Deandre Jordan is a very false equivalence. We’re talking about two guys who each had one really good first team all nba season, who played in two completely different times. SGA has and is currently beating curry out for first team as we speak, multiple years.
Woah! SGA is beating 38 year old curry. Damn who would’ve expected. Curry still absolutely destroys SGA all time so I got no idea what you’re trying to get at. You acting like KD deciding to join curry is his fault? See KD career after leaving to know who the real mvp on that team is. Course curry isn’t LeBron or Jordan tier. But he’s right there with the Duncan’s, magic’s and birds who were the center piece of a dynasty.
Wait so how are you using curry blooming late and being old as an excuse now? He wasn’t that good when he was young. How would that help his case? Him being old shouldn’t really matter. Curry has had a 10 year had start on SGA and SGA is already matching him in individual accomplishments. KD joining curry is not his fault, he could’ve absolutely took over and won the finals MVPs though. Just like he could’ve in 15 and 16 but he didn’t. 22 was his magnum opus for sure.
He’s a tier below magic bird and Duncan. Those guys have won just as much as curry but they have the Indvidual nods to go with that. Curry is an all time great but if you’re taking him any time higher than 11 Im not agreeing
Your also being massively hyperbolic, he’s a top 5 offensive player of all time he’s not overrated by most but he does get more leeway than a lot of players would
I can’t name a player inserted into more convos with players who dwarf him in individual awards other than him and Kyrie really. Massively I wouldn’t say so
Is he a touch overrated. You can argue that but him being all time great isn’t a debate. He revolutionized modern basketball
Totally agree with that. However he probably has the worst individual award resume out of all All time greats. 4 all nba first teams?? Come on lol
Yeah but I still say of the top 15 players of all time he ain’t 15 lol. He’s about 11
I have him at 11–12 too
Dude that’s pretty normal, I thought(and others probably did too judging by this thread) you have steph at like 30 from the way you phrased your initial comment. Why do you think he’s overrated if you rate him at 11?
I have gone back and forth with people who say he’s passed magic and Kobe. Who both have better individual accomplishments and more rings
Yes the best pr of all time…. Thats why there is all the KD hate… Because everyone knows who was the better player… And curry only won vs injured teams and with Kd. And that is a fact! Also he is 0-14 in go ahead or to tie the game in the playoffs biggest choker of all time…
But short kings who dont want physicality in basketball love their king because he shoot treeeeees yeeeeee!!!
Same reason soccer is the most famous sport in the world… everyone can kick a ball and everyone can jack trees.
Yep.
He’s probably the best team player in nba history but individually…
4 all nba 1st teams
2 MVPs
1 finals mvp
Just doesn’t stack up with a lot of those other guys individually. And people wanna say he’s better than Kobe. Kobe gave you a lot more on both ends.