Is DeAndre Jordan Deserving of an All-Star Selection This Season?

The Los Angeles Clippers know firsthand why DeAndre Jordan deserves a trip to the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Besides being the cornerstone of the defense, he's managed to do all the little things well. 

His deservedness is not just that the 2013-14 rebounding champion is producing at or above the levels he did a season ago. Due to several factors that go beyond the stat sheet, he's a better candidate this time around.

He doesn't possess a reliable jump shot, nor is he a gifted passer. His 42.3 free-throw percentage is atrocious. 

But all of that can be overlooked when considering the total package. That's because he does everything else a center needs to do exceptionally well. 

Here are the things that make the Clips' man in the middle an All-Star this season.

Rim protector

Jordan is terrific at patrolling the paint to the point that he's the best in the league at it. By definition, that's what centers are supposed to do.

Given the athleticism spread across the league, the role of rim protector is crucial. Jordan has managed to swat an impressive 2.4 looks per contest. That's a healthy increase above his career average of 1.7. 

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Clippers already have issues on defense. They're allowing opponents to shoot 50.9 percent on two-point field goals, which is 25th out of 30 teams. It's critical that Jordan clogs up the middle. 

Elite rebounder 

When it comes to rebounding, the Clippers need Jordan more than ever. Los Angeles is 23rd in total rebounding through Dec. 22.

Jordan was the NBA's rebounding leader last season. He's continued to bring that same level of contribution in 2014-15.

He leads the league through 28 games with 13.1 rebounds per contest. That sustained level of production proves he's not only gifted in that regard, but he's made it an area of focus. 

No one out West is grabbing boards anywhere near the rate Jordan is. Tyson Chandler is the next-best center in the conference with a mark of 11.9 per game.

Jordan's total rebound percentage is a monstrous 23.2, per Basketball-Reference.com, a metric in which he again leads the league. 

The last center left? 

Shaquille O'Neal was self-glossed the "Last Center Left" (LCL). That's a difficult assertion to argue with when considering the storied career of the NBA legend.

But in the context of Jordan and his All-Star credentials, the former Texas A&M star could be a new-age version of the LCL. 

The NBA has eliminated the center position from its All-Star ballot, potentially because few traditional bigs exist in the modern NBA. 

But Jordan is a throwback. He does all of the dirty work at a legendary level. 

In the last 20 NBA seasons, there have been only 30 instances of players averaging at least 12 rebounds and two blocks per game in the same season.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, only one of those players, Marcus Camby, was never an All-Star. Jordan's time is now, and as one of the few true centers left in the game, he deserves the bid.  

The competition

It's going to be an uphill battle for DJ, despite the strong resume he's put together this season. Instead of choosing a center, fans now must pick three frontcourt players. 

Though Jordan is not a relative favorite among these big names, the lack of a center spot on the ballot has him buried. 

 Here are the Western Conference frontcourt leading vote-getters as of Dec. 25: 

Rank	Player	Team	Votes
1	Anthony Davis	New Orleans Pelicans	524,623
2	Blake Griffin	Los Angeles Clippers	307,908
3	Marc Gasol	Memphis Grizzlies	227,554
4	Tim Duncan	San Antonio Spurs	198,643
5	Kevin Durant	Oklahoma City Thunder	191,881
6	LaMarcus Aldridge	Portland Trail Blazers	152,253
7	DeMarcus Cousins	Sacramento Kings	117,003
8	Dwight Howard	Houston Rockets	104,699
9	Dirk Nowitzki	Dallas Mavericks	100,015
10	Kawhi Leonard	San Antonio Spurs	74,501
11	Rudy Gay	Sacramento Kings	51,873
12	DeAndre Jordan	Los Angeles Clippers	43,051
13	Nick Young	Los Angeles Lakers	32,050
14	Tyson Chandler	Dallas Mavericks	31,659
15	Zach Randolph	Memphis Grizzlies	30,147