I didn’t think I would actually have to sit down and write about DeAndre Jordan playing legitimate minutes in a Conference Semifinals matchup in 2022, but here we are.
So much of the dialogue leading up to the Sixers’ Game 1 matchup with the Miami Heat revolved around how they would be managing the center minutes with Joel Embiid out until at least Game 3. Instead of Paul Reed, who received the lion’s share of the backup minutes against the Raptors and held his own, Rivers opted to insert Jordan, who saw the court for not even a minute of game time in the first round, into the starting lineup.