DeAndre Jordan is sweating, visibly frustrated. He faces the Utah Jazz in about 90 minutes, and that’s ostensibly what his pre-game workout is preparing him for. But throughout his 20-minute routine, Jordan is really facing another challenger, one that has been his biggest rival throughout his 11 NBA seasons: the stand-still, undefended shot from 15 feet away.



Jordan had just missed four attempts out of five. He steps away from the line, walks behind the 3-point line, and turns away from the 18-inch basket, the object causing his consternation. He exhales. He recollects himself. And then he steps back to the line, facing his free throw demons again.



That’s a funny sentence to write about an 82.4 percent free throw shooter. This season, Jordan has made 28 of his 34 free throw attempts, accurate enough to rank 22nd in the league among players who have attempted at least 30 shots, which has him sandwiched between C.J. McCollum (career 84.1 percent) and Jimmy...