Fantasy Radar: Don't Overlook Jordan

The NBA FanHouse team has been posting previews for all 30 teams prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. Along with each preview they examine a player to watch. In the case of the Los Angeles Clippers, Tom Ziller examined Eric Gordon. In keeping up with the theme, I decided to highlight a bench player on the Clippers who might turn into an impact fantasy player this season.

From a fantasy perspective the Clippers are an interesting team. On paper they have one of the more fantasy-friendly rotations with six players currently being drafted in the top 125 picks, according to Mock Draft Central -- Marcus Camby (ADP: 40.12), Baron Davis (ADP: 46.64), Eric Gordon (ADP: 79.41), Blake Griffin (ADP: 81.82), Chris Kaman (ADP: 97.18) and Al Thornton (ADP: 126.26).

Eric Gordon is getting drafted far too low for what he'll return in value, while Baron Davis, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman all failed to play in more than 65 games last season, making them high injury risks. Blake Griffin is a huge talent, though his high free-throw rate -- 9.3 attempts per game in his final season at Oklahoma University -- and his 59.0 percent showing from the line is reason enough to drop him down into the eighth or ninth round. Finally, Al Thornton is a solid contributor, yet nothing in his game stands out enough for me to rank him in the Top 100.

While you likely won't find any of those players on your waiver wires once your draft has been completed, I should reiterate that only Gordon and Thornton were healthy enough last season to play in more than 65 games. With health being a major concern in Clipperland, especially in the frontcourt, it's worth taking a look at which bench player might make an immediate impact if given the opportunity.

Second-year Clipper DeAndre Jordan is, if anything, a big man. At 6-11, 250 pounds he has an intimidating frame with a monstrous wingspan (7-6). Last season he stepped in when Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby both went down with injuries. As a starter he averaged 7.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks on 67.8 percent shooting from the floor. Granted he started in just 13 games last season, but it's pretty apparent that should either Marcus Camby, Blake Griffin or Chris Kaman go down with an injury, Jordan will be the first guy called upon to fill the void.

His strengths are in his shot-blocking ability, the athleticism he displays for a player his size, and how skilled he is as a rebounder. If you want to knock him on something, I guess you can say that he's still raw and that his 38.5 percent showing from the free-throw line is pretty dreadful. The good news is that he only got to the line 2.1 times per game last season. That's absolutely manageable and won't kill your free-throw percentage category in a way that a guy like Dwight Howard will -- he shot 59.4 percent last season, but on 10.8 attempts.

In his first preseason game Jordan scored 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the floor, pulled down 10 rebounds, and blocked one shot. He also shot 6-of-9 from the free-throw line, something he set out to improve on this summer. Jordan will start the season coming off the bench behind Griffin, Camby and Kaman at the power forward and center positions. All three, however, are legitimate injury risks. Kaman played in just 87 games over the last two seasons, while Griffin fell to a series of injuries this summer -- including a strained right shoulder and a sore right knee -- and Camby only now is returning after dealing with his hyperextended knee. It just seems to me that current history has proven that not enough can go wrong with the Clippers and that's why I'm keeping my eye on DeAndre Jordan.

You know for certain that when he makes it onto the court he'll give you blocks, rebounds and a high field-goal percentage. I'm not saying I would draft him in a standard 12-team league, per se, but if you're taking Camby and Kaman in the mid-rounds you might want to consider "handcuffing" them with Jordan. Meaning, select him in the final round of your draft as a backup plan should Camby, Kaman, or even Griffin find themselves in street clothes in the early goings.