PLAYA VISTA – DeAndre Jordan has played at an All-Star level for the first two-plus months of the season, leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage and ranking third in blocked shots.
Still, Jordan has not emerged among the top 15 Western Conference front court players on the NBA’s balloting returns. He said that doesn’t bother him.
“As long as I get the respect from the coaches and my peers around the league and we’re winning that’s all that matters,” Jordan said.
While a selection as a reserve is not entirely out of the question for the sixth-year center, it’s not likely. If Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant wind up making it is as starters, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee and Tim Duncan, among others, would likely stand in Jordan’s way.
That doesn’t mean making an All-Star team is not one of Jordan’s goals.
“It’s definitely something that I want to play in,” Jordan said. “I don’t want to just make it one time. I want to make it multiple times. Whenever my year is, that’s my year.”
This year, much like the previous two seasons, Jordan is thought of as a candidate for All-Star Saturday’s dunk contest. However, on Tuesday Jordan reiterated his feeling from last season when he turned down a chance for the premier Saturday night event in his hometown of Houston.
“I just don’t want to go to the All-Star game to be in the dunk contest and go home,” he said. “I want to be there competing in the game with a couple of my teammates.”
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