Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – The Clippers have three players on this year’s All-NBA teams for the first time in team history.
Chris Paul was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin were named to the All-NBA Third Team, as the Clippers make up one-fifth of the 15 players on All-NBA teams this season.
This marks the first year Jordan’s found himself on an All-NBA team, wrapping up his most productive of seven seasons in the league with the Clippers. Jordan led the league in rebounds per game, field goal percentage and defensive win shares and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
“I’ve definitely found my thing, what I’m good at,” Jordan said earlier this year. “Certain things that guys do keep them in the NBA a long time, but I’ve found what I’m good at, and I’m only going to continue to get better at that.”
Dennis Rodman and Kevin Willis are the only players since 1985-86 to average more rebounds per game in a season than Jordan, who posted career highs in rebounds per game (15) and points per game (11.5) this year. In addition, his 71 percent shooting is second all-time only to Wilt Chamberlain’s mark of 72.7 percent set in 1972-73.
Jordan, whose point totals have increased every season in the league, also holds the longest active streak for games played in the NBA, not missing a game since the 2010-11 season. Both Paul and Jordan were named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team this year.
“DJ’s selfless,” Paul said earlier this year. “Like I say all the time, he does all the things for us on any given night that don’t show up on the stat sheet. I think he’s the most athletic center to ever play the game.”
With Jordan, Paul and Griffin all represented, it marks the first time since the Suns in 2004-05 that three players from the same team make All-NBA teams in the same season.
Just like Jordan, Paul also played all 82 games this year, a feat Paul accomplished for the first time in his career. Paul’s made the All-NBA First Team four seasons during his career. This marks the second time in his career to make the All-NBA Second Team, also accomplishing the feat in 2009. He has one All-NBA Third Team honor from 2011.
The Clippers’ star point guard finished sixth in MVP voting this year, while reaching the 13,000-point, 6,500-assist plateau in the fourth fewest games in NBA history. The only other players to reach those marks in fewer than 700 career games were Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson.
“That’s definitely a huge honor to even be mentioned among those guys,” Paul said after reaching the mark.
Paul finished first in the NBA with 10.2 assists per game and was one of only two players averaging double-digit assists per game, along with John Wall, who averaged 10 per game. Paul also had the best assist-to-turnover ratio among qualifying players at 4.41-to-1, a category he’s now led for three straight seasons. In addition, Paul’s 139 3-pointers this year were 47 more than he’s made in any previous season.
“When someone does something so well for such a long period of time, you almost take it for granted,” J.J. Redick said earlier this season. “I think that’s been the case a little bit this year. We’ve kind of overlooked how good he is.”
Griffin, who also has three appearances on the All-NBA Second Team in his career, finished his postseason in the top 10 in points, rebounds and assists. After averaging 21.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-high 5.3 assists per game in the regular season, Griffin increased each of those numbers by averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the playoffs.
“Chris can shoot, Chris can pass, Chris’ ball-handling and passing really is amazing, but Blake can shoot and Blake can pass,” head coach Doc Rivers said earlier this year. “That’s what makes that combination so good. A lot of pick-and-roll combinations, the guard does everything and the big is either a roller or can pop. It’s rare they can roll, pop, but really pass, too. I think that’s what helped that combination so much.”
Along with Tim Duncan, Griffin became one of just two active players with 8,000 points and 3,500 rebounds in fewer than 375 games. He worked on his mid-range game this offseason and shot a career-best 40.3 percent from that distance this season. Griffin finished tied for eighth place in MVP voting this year.
This year’s All-NBA First Team consists of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, Stephen Curry and James Harden. The All-NBA Second Team consists of Paul, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins. The All-NBA Third Team consists of Griffin, Jordan, Tim Duncan, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving.
The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly.