When DeAndre Jordan almost signed with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency this offseason, he largely did so because the Mavs promised him a larger role in the offense. The Mavs wooed Jordan by telling him that he would have the opportunity to be the star player in Dallas that he’d never become in LA, and that they would largely run their offense through him in the post.
But when Jordan infamously changed his mind and went back to the Clippers, he essentially was committing to maintaining the smaller role he plays within the Clippers offense. Through 35 games, Jordan has scored 23 points on just 27 post-ups this season.
Without those post-up opportunities, almost all of Jordan’s 404 points have been scored around the rim and on free throws. Because of that, Jordan is unsurprisingly leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 72.7 percent, making 149 of his 205 shot attempts from the floor this season.
Jordan has made 25 of his last 28 shots heading into Wednesday’s game against Portland, and if he makes his first shot attempt in that game, Jordan will actually be on pace to pass the all-time record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1972-73 (his final NBA season). Chamberlain shot 72.696 percent that year, while Jordan is currently sitting at 72.683.
Though Jordan’s biggest impact on the game certainly remains on the defensive end of the floor, it would still be an impressive accomplishment should he break the field goal percentage record. Even if Jordan doesn’t set the all-time record, he’s practically a shoo-in to lead the league again this season, as his closest competitor is Dwight Howard, who at 61.8 percent, is nearly a full eleven points below him.
