After wild off-season, DeAndre Jordan ready to help Clippers to a big year

DeAndre Jordan spent part of his final preseason day eliciting a laugh from a Clippers staffer, playfully avoiding the media and, yes, missing a few free throws on the practice court.

It was like he never left. The prized center technically didn’t, of course, re-signing with the only NBA team he has played for after that five-day Dallas dalliance that captivated the league.

His fun-loving antics aside, Jordan has exhibited some subtle differences in recent weeks that could make him even more valuable to the franchise that made him the focus of its summer recruiting efforts.

A player who once obsessed over awards said he doesn’t care about them anymore, with the exception of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, given to the league champion. It probably helps that last season he was selected a first-team All-NBA defender and the league’s third-team center, though he’s still never been an All-Star.

“I suspect that’s going to probably change this year,” Clippers forward Paul Pierce said Tuesday, on the eve of his team’s season opener Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena.

Jordan has also requested to be more involved in the team’s offense, rather than merely being relied upon for lob dunks and putback baskets.

“I’m not going to go crazy,” Jordan, who has not spoken with reporters since Oct. 20, said earlier in the preseason, “but the guys are looking for me on duck-ins and easy baskets running the break, transition baskets, things like that. I’m just getting comfortable with getting the ball down there and taking high-percentage shots.”

Some observers also noticed that Jordan had lowered the release point on his free throws in the preseason by several inches, if not more. It didn’t result in a huge difference as the career 41.7% free-throw shooter made 10 of 20 attempts in exhibitions.

Hey, at least he’s trying.

It could all be part of the gradual maturation of a player who is still only 27 despite having already completed seven NBA seasons.

“My expectations are just for me to be an all-around better player,” Jordan said. “I want to improve every year.”

Jordan’s salary certainly took a leap after the Clippers extended him a maximum four-year, $87.6-million contract. He is the second-highest paid player on the team, his $19.6-million salary this season trailing only that of Chris Paul ($21.4 million) but edging past that of Blake Griffin ($18.9 million).

He figures to lead all Clippers in boos generated when the team travels to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Nov. 11. Not that it will be anything new.

“I think they booed DeAndre, Blake and Chris last year when they shot free throws,” said Clippers Coach Doc Rivers, whose team also plays the Mavericks in its home opener Thursday. “They’re just going to boo louder.”

Kidded Jordan: “It will be like any other road game. I mean, I’ll have all of my people from Houston there, so I’ll be good.”

The Houston native might have never felt more beloved in his hometown than on the day this summer when Clippers teammates and executives converged upon his home. Jordan had already essentially decided to back out of his commitment to the Mavericks and return to the Clippers, but having so many longtime friends show up made the choice easier.

“From the outside it looked like this big secret mission,” Jordan said, “but it was boring. It wasn’t exciting at all.”

It was potentially transformative, actually.

“If you lose DeAndre,” Pierce said, “it changes not only [the] complexion about us having a chance to win it, it changes the whole franchise’s complexion.”

Social (media) butterfly?

Reporters unsure of their questions to Rivers might want to hold back. He’s on Twitter now.

“I’m going to blast the reporters,” joked the media-friendly coach. “From this day forward, whoever asks the worst question I’m blasting.”

Rivers said he joined the social media website more than a year after former Lakers coach Phil Jackson suggested it would be a good way to frame his voice. Rivers said he would mostly use it for information gathering and to tout charity events.

Using the handle @DocRivers, he had amassed 15,500 followers by Tuesday evening. A word of warning: Those who send him a message shouldn’t expect a response.

“I’ll never read anything,” Rivers said, “because I know how mean Twitter is.”

One more year

The Clippers exercised their option for the 2016-17 season on second-year guard C.J. Wilcox, who averaged 2.0 points and 0.4 assists in 4.8 minutes per game as a rookie.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch