Mark Cuban says DeAndre Jordan will be 'Shaq-like' with Mavs
Hours after landing former Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took to the airwaves to let everyone know what he thinks about his new big man.
In an interview with sports talk radio show Bob and Dan, Cuban said he thought Jordan wasn't given the chance to be a star with the Clippers but would be "Shaq-like" in Dallas.
"We see him as 'Shaq-like' but never having been given the opportunity," Cuban told the radio show. "We told him if he came to the Mavs, he would be a focal point. He would grow into being a franchise player."
Jordan, who agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with Dallas on Friday, reportedly was seeking a bigger offensive role when free agency began. He was the third option behind power forward Blake Griffin and point guard Chris Paul with the Clippers even though he led the league in field-goal percentage, shooting 71 percent last season. Granted, a majority of his attempts were either alley-oops or put-backs from offensive rebounds.
However, giving Jordan more offensive touches also opens him up to more trips to the free-throw line, which has been his Achilles' heel. He shot 39.7 percent last season and is a career 41.7 percent shooter from the line. Opposing teams have used a "Hack-a-Jordan" strategy, which has halted the Clippers' up-tempo offense at times.
But Cuban sees a big future for Jordan with the Mavericks.
"We told him that you're capable of being a 20-20 guy," Cuban told the radio show. "You're just not being given the opportunity."
