As far as introductions go, it would be tough to top the one John Jordan made on Feb. 13.
Acquired by Raptors 905 for the returning player rights to Luke Harangody just 11 days earlier, Jordan had yet to play a home game for the franchise when he was thrust into the spotlight at All-Star Weekend. The 5-foot-10 point guard was placed in the D-League Dunk Contest at halftime of the D-League All-Star Game at Ricoh Coliseum, asked to represent for the host city despite having played in only two games as a member of the 905.
To say Jordan delivered would be an understatement. Jordan took over the Dunk Contest, winning with a series of 50s opposite D.J. Stephens and a host of other terrific dunkers.
Normally, the D-League Dunk Contest can hold its own opposite the NBA version, but Jordan and Stephens were shown up later that night by Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon. Jordan thinks if given the chance, he could hang with the best.
“For sure. It would take a little bit more practice, but I think I’d be able to pull a little something out,” Jordan said last week. “I can’t say now, we’ve gotta wait for next year. You’ll see. We’ll just see.”
It would be another eight days before Jordan actually played a basketball game in Canada, but it’s hard to imagine a better way of quickly ingratiating himself to 905 fans. When he took for the Hershey Centre floor for the first time on Feb. 21, he was greeted with a warm ovation, word clearly having gotten out, the Vines having made their rounds.
“That’s a good thing, right there,” Jordan said of the serendipitous timing of his arrival and performance.
Acquiring the eventual Dunk Contest champion days before hosting the Dunk Contest is a nice look for general manager Dan Tolzman, too.
“We traded for him right in time,” head coach Jesse Mermuys said. “Bring in the Slam Dunk Champion. We need to give Dan Tolzman a lot of credit, that’s a big time move.”
The 905 didn’t trade for Jordan just for the dunks, though. The team was struggling for second-unit offense and deemed second-round draft pick Jay Harris to be simply too far away in his development as an initiator to continue investing in him, at least for now. In Jordan, the 905 added some offensive punch off of the bench and, most notably, a really different look from starter Shannon Scott that should make for a drastic change in approach for opposing defenses.
“You know, John, as you guys saw in the dunk contest, is an explosive, athletic, strong dude,” Mermuys said. “He’s able to get into the paint. He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s explosive. I’ve liked what I’ve seen with his toughness, the ability to pick up our plays extremely fast. I thought that was impressive, he’s obviously a really smart kid. I just don’t think he’s gotten an opportunity the other places he’s been in the D-League, so we want to give him an honest opportunity. So far, so good.”
Undrafted this summer after four seasons at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Jordan was picked up by Delaware as a waiver claim before the season. He’d play eight games there before getting waived, landing with Erie soon after. The Bayhawks gave him 10 games before flipping him to the 905, where he’s been able to find a better footing quicker than he has at his earlier stops.
“I’m probably the most comfortable here,” Jordan said. “It’s a great group of guys, and when we’re on the court together, I feel comfortable with them. It just makes everything easier for me.”
His numbers don’t jump off the page quite yet, but Jordan’s brought a nice spark to the second unit. In eight games, he’s averaging 5.1 points and 2.6 assists in 17.2 minutes, getting to the line for 2.4 attempts per-game in that short run. His ability to penetrate a defense causes defenses to key in on him in the pick-and-roll, leading to easy opportunities for the screener.
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Off the ball, Jordan can be sneaky. His cuts may not produce good looks at the rim if there’s help in the paint – he’s shooting 41.9 percent overall with the 905, though he’s at 63.9 percent within five feet of the rim on the season – but he’s a smart, willing passer when the defense collapses.
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He’s also averaging nearly a steal a game, and while his size leaves him at a disadvantage on the defensive end, he’s shown quick hands and controlled aggression getting into passing lanes. The 905 have been outscored by 6.2 points per-100 possessions with Jordan on the floor so far, owing in part to a cold shooting stretch, but they’re also 4-4 since landing him, and Mermuys has quickly grown comfortable with Jordan as a spark for the offense, cycling in Ashton Smith when a defensive boost is needed, instead.
Winning will help anyone feel good in a new situation quickly, but the Dunk Contest – where Scott Suggs was filming and Ronald Roberts was laughing and the rest of the D-League was losing its mind – certainly didn’t hurt. With the 905 now coming home for a long stretch, Jordan just has one more thing he needs to do to feel fully settled in Mississauga: Throw one down on the home rims.
“If I get the opportunity, it’s going to go down.”
