Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan is getting efficient with hook shots

DeAndre Jordan rolled from the right side of the lane to the left side, demanding the ball Monday night from his Clippers teammates.

Once the ball was delivered, Jordan confidently shot a sweeping right-handed hook shot over Phoenix Suns center Alex Len that easily settled into the nets. A few minutes later in the third quarter of the Clippers-Suns game, Jordan called for the ball again and rolled in a left-handed hook over Len.

Lobs dunks remain the signature part of Jordan’s offense, but the 6-foot-11 center has started to show more skill in his low-post moves.

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“I think I’m starting to get comfortable,” Jordan said. “That’s a real important thing for me. I feel like I can do the moves and knock them down. I’ve just got to get more reps at it.”

Of the six field goals Jordan made against the Suns, half were hook shots, the other three baskets were dunks.

But Jordan is gradually starting to expand his game.

He worked on his post moves over the summer and he continues to work on them with Clippers assistant coach Armond Hill at practice, shoot-arounds and before games.

“I just want teams to be able to guard me more and not … put more pressure on Chris [Paul] or J.J. [Redick] or even Blake [Griffin],” Jordan said at practice Tuesday. “And I feel like that’s happening more, especially with Blake being out. So whenever he is back, it’ll be a lot tougher for teams hopefully.”

Jordan was getting some praise from the media at practice for making hook shots with either hand.

“He made a couple of hook shots. We’re not going to make him Jabbar today,” Coach Doc Rivers said, referring to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “I know we want it right away. It’s going to take him time and he’s getting better at it.”

This season, Jordan is averaging 12.2 points per game and 14.2 rebounds, second-best in the NBA.

He’s shooting an NBA-best 69.6% from the field, mostly on dunks off lobs from Paul.

Jordan has been told to slow down when he gets the ball down low.

“I just take a second whenever I get the ball down there,” Jordan said. “I’m getting more comfortable with the basketball, because before it would be like late in the shot clock thing. But now I’m getting it with like 18 seconds [on the shot clock] so I can make a decision. I feel like the guys are more confident in me down there to make a play for somebody else or whenever I feel like I have a shot I can make, I’ll take that one.”

Etc.

Rivers said the partially torn left quad tendon Griffin injured Dec. 25 is “not yet” completely healed, but that “he’s close.” Griffin also is recovering from a broken right hand from punching the team’s assistant equipment manager last month. Griffin’s hand “is not healed,” Rivers said. Griffin was expected to miss four to six weeks when diagnosed with his hand injury Jan. 26.

Up Next

CLIPPERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS

When: 7:30.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 980, 1330.

Records: Clippers 37-19, Nuggets 22-34.

Record vs. Nuggets: 1-0.

Update: The Clippers will face the second of four consecutive teams that have losing records. The Clippers have a four-game winning streak against the Nuggets. Denver is a good offensive rebounding team, averaging 11.4 offensive boards per game, sixth-best in the NBA before Tuesday night’s games.

Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner