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| DeAndre is on pace at shattering Wilt Chamberlain's single-season field goal percentage record. Derick Hingle/USA Today (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
DEANDRE Jordan is currently chasing one of Wilt Chamberlain's all-time records.
While his numbers do not exactly resemble someone going after the Big Dipper's 100-point game or Kobe Bryant's 81 at the very least, Jordan is actually leading Chamberlain in field goal percentage as it stands.
As of Jan. 7 (Philippine Time), the Los Angeles Clippers center shoots 73.1 percent on the floor this season, just ahead of Chamberlain's 72.7 at the end of the 1973 season.
Should DeAndre, who returned to the Clippers after initially agreeing on a deal with the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason, maintain his current shooting clip in the end, he will become the new record holder of the single-season field goal percentage.
He was actually on track last season by finishing with a 71 percent clip, which is good for second all-time just behind Wilt's.
Ten Years After Kobe's 81
Speaking of Bryant's 81-point outburst, his scoring spree against Toronto on Jan. 23, 2005 (Philippine Time) will be remembered in a special tenth year anniversary game involving the Los Angeles Lakers.
While the Raptors are not scheduled to make a trip to Hollywood on Jan. 23 (Philippine Time) (in fact, they will play hosts to the Miami Heat in an ESPN game), the Lakers fans can still get to reminisce Bryant's threat to Chamberlain's scoring record in an awesome way as no less than the San Antonio Spurs will play at the Staples Center. Not to mention Bryant is retiring after the season.
The Green and Leonard Effect
Currently, the Spurs are just 2.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors, who have found a new star in Draymond Green.
On the other hand, San Antonio is making the most out of Kawhi Leonard's own impressive season.
Because of them, the Warriors and the Spurs have the two best NBA records, downing their opponents by mostly huge margins.
Because of them, the Warriors and the Spurs have the two best NBA records, downing their opponents by mostly huge margins.
With both players playing tremendously on both ends of the hardwood, a first-time All-Star selection is expected of them, giving the term "all-around player" a redefinition.
However, both San Antonio and Golden State, which became the first pair of teams with 30-win records already by the first week of January since 1981, will not yet lock horns until Jan. 26 (Philippine Time).
The Right Time is Nearing?
Meanwhile, Philadelphia may have just found the last piece of its "team of the future" in Ish Smith.
Since Smith, who was undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2010, arrived via a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, the 76ers have won thrice and even gave some good fights against tough teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who they played on Monday (Philippine Time) but lost, 85-95.
What to Watch Out
Aside from the Spurs-Lakers game that will commemorate the anniversary of Kobe's supershow, there are some marquee games scheduled for the next two weeks.
The NBA will return to London on Friday (Philippine Time) in a regular season meeting between Toronto and Orlando.
Hours later back in the United States, San Antonio will host Cleveland in their first meeting since Kyrie Irving dropped a career-high 57 points at the AT&T Center last March.
On Jan. 19 (Philippine Time), the Cavs will welcome the Warriors in their final regular season meeting as part of a ten-game Martin Luther King Day NBA special with four getting national TV airtime.
Golden State downed Cleveland in their first NBA Finals rematch in Oakland on Dec. 26 (Philippine Time).
And finally, Jan. 22 (Philippine Time) is a marked day as well as the NBA All-Star starters will be revealed in a one-hour Inside the NBA pregame special on TNT before the network's scheduled doubleheader featuring the Cavs hosting the Clippers and the Spurs battling the Phoenix Suns.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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