LOS ANGELES – Those who tuned in to J.J. Redick’s podcast heard a familiar voice this week.
Redick’s teammate DeAndre Jordan went on The Vertical Podcast with J.J. Redick as the featured guest, and the two discussed mostly Jordan’s left-handedness and added comfort at the line.
Jordan went through all the different things he does with each hand – he writes and shoots left-handed, yet bowls, throws and golfs right-handed, among other things. And, once again, he stuck by the fact that he’ll continue to shoot left-handed, which is an act he finds more mental than physical at this point.
“You can get reps up in the gym as much as you want, hours and hours, but when it comes to a game, there’s so many different aspects going on, so many different things,” Jordan said. “In practice and after practice, you can knock as many down in a row as you want, but in the game it’s so different.”
While Jordan remains adamant he’ll stick to his left-handed free throws, he said he feels more comfortable turning and going to his right the way he has recently when he gets the ball in the paint. When he palms the ball for a dunk, it’s also typically with his right hand.
“I’m gifted at both,” Jordan joked, following by saying it can only get better.
Redick and Jordan both agreed that free throws are the most mental part of the game, with Jordan chiming in that it’s the only part of the game that completely stops.
“Before, I was so frustrated and so nervous to go up there,” Jordan said.
He said he used to think about not air balling it, and as long as he didn’t do that, it was OK. But that mentality’s changed.
“Honestly now, I’m so much more comfortable at the line and I’ve gotten so many reps up,” said Jordan, who’s shooting nearly three percentage points better this year than last year. “Now I feel like when I shoot it, I go up so much more confident thinking, ‘OK I’m going to make this one.'”
Jordan said he can tell the free throws are better because when he does miss, the only issues are whether the shot’s too long or too short, rather than off to the left or right.
Redick and Jordan touched on many topics, including the role Doc Rivers had in turning Jordan into a star. Jordan said when Rivers first arrived as the Clippers’ head coach, there were rumors and trade talk about Jordan going to Boston.
Then, the two of them went to dinner, where Rivers told Jordan how much he wanted him to stick with the team. Jordan said Rivers believed in him and let him play through mistakes more than any coach before.
“You want to run through a wall for him,” said Jordan, who gained confidence from Rivers.
Other subjects included Jordan’s team-first mentality offensively, winning with teammates players care about, the night in Houston prior to Jordan’s decision to remain with the Clippers, Redick’s “bullishness” on the Clippers’ chances this year, the grind of the season and each of their four favorite in-game dunks of all time.
“There’s only one thing left for us,” Redick said, “and that’s a championship. So anything short of that will be a huge disappointment.”
