By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Denver Nuggets newcomer DeAndre Jordan has been around for a while seeking to go all the way in the NBA Playoffs.
Jordan, 34, recently talked to The Denver Post about the projected role in Denver and Nikola Jokic.
“Well, he told me that I’m gonna come in and start over Nikola [Jokic],” he described early conversations with Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
All jokes aside, the experienced center is happy to support the Serbian superstar.
“Obviously everybody knows that Nikola is the head of the snake,” he added, “So with that, my role being obviously coming off the bench, helping our second unit with pace, screens and getting guys open, getting guys better shots and also finishing everything that I can in transition, offensive rebounds, controlling the glass for our unit, also being a defensive presence for however long I’m out there.”
Since the Los Angeles Clippers picked him up with the 35th selection in the 2008 NBA draft, the former Texas A&M standout played in 1,040 NBA games, including 807 with the Clippers. The next stops were the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers. Quality teams across the board but the NBA championship has eluded him.
“I don’t put that pressure on myself to have to prove anything. I know the type of player that I am. I know the respect that I have from myself, and also that my peers have for me,” he replied to a question about winning a title, “That is the only thing that still drives me at this point in my career.”
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