Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson believes DeAndre Jordan will be motivated once again now that the high-flyer is on a playoff team.
This past season with the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, there were times where Jordan didn't give maximum effort on defense. Atkinson wants Jordan to get back to his All-Star level with the Nets.
Kenny Atkinson wants to get DeAndre Jordan back to his old level: "I don’t know what it looked like for him from a motivation standpoint. I do think with the talent we brought in. I do think there will be a heightened sense of motivation on his part." #Nets #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) July 9, 2019
There's a chance DeAndre Jordan could come off the bench for the Nets. Brooklyn youngster Jarrett Allen is the team's current starting center. Jordan hasn't come off the bench in a game since 2011.
With the Mavs and Knicks in 2018-19, Jordan averaged 11.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks. The 30-year-old Houston native shot 64.1 percent from the field and a career-high 70.5 percent from the free-throw line.
On the Nets, Jordan will be teammates with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, two players he's very close friends with. KD and Irving took less than the max so Brooklyn could sign Jordan to a four-year, $40 million deal.
Add to the fact that Brooklyn will likely be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference, Jordan should be able to play at a high-level in 2019-20 with the Nets.
Jordan has career averages of 9.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 819 games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Mavs and Knicks.
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