He’s a spectacular athlete, there’s no questioning that, but is he ever going to be a spectacular basketball player? Because that’s who the Clippers need him to be this year.

Jordan is 6′11″, 250 pounds and gets up and down the court like few big men in the league do. If the Clippers are to have any chance at finishing in the top 8 in the Western Conference and earning a playoff spot, they’re going to have to take advantage of an athletic roster and force an up tempo game on their opponents. We’ll hear more about that later this month when we profile Baron Davis, but that is the only way this team will have a chance to contend for a playoff spot.

So, in order to run, they’re going to need to have quality depth who can offer fresh legs and the ability to continue an up tempo attack. This is where Jordan could be a vital piece to the Clippers’ hopes this season.

Jordan has the potential to be a matchup nightmare for some of the more plodding centers in the West (Duncan, Biedrins, Okur, Ming) but he has to be able to prove that he is worthy of getting those minutes. I know he’s behind an All-Star center on the depth chart and no one here is going to make a convincing argument that Jordan should push Chris Kaman for the starter’s spot – but he should be pushing him for minutes, both to switch up the tempo and to keep Kaman fresh.

When the stats are adjusted, Jordan ranks in the top 10 in blocks and rebounds per 48 minutes played but there has been little reason to give him substantial minutes on a regular basis, as you never know which Jordan will show up. So we’ll have to see what kind of shape Jordan shows up for camp in to see whether he’s finally going to be more than an athletic big man who can’t get it together on the court.

Cook previously played for 3 teams, most recently the Rockets, where he saw action in just 15 games last season.

I haven’t seen the contract to know whether or not the second year is guaranteed, but it seems odd to give a guy who hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season but twice in a 7 year career a two year deal, even at the inexpensive cap number the Clippers signed him for.

When healthy, Cook has shown an ability to hit the three-point shot with some consistency, as evidenced by his nearly 40% career shooting percentage from beyond the arc. He’s not much of a rebounder even when given substantial minutes, something that might add to his value with the Clippers when he’s paired in the front court with Chris Kaman and Craig Smith, if Cook’s ability to hit the three can draw post defenders away from Kaman and Smith. But he’s not going to be able to be paired well with Blake Griffin, as Griffin will need room to move with and without the ball in his hands. All his detriments and matchup problems fade if he shows he can still be a dead-eye shooter from beyond the arc, but for a guy who’s played less than 50 games combined the past two seasons, I’m not exactly optimistic his stroke will return.

Aside from the cap-friendly aspect of Cook’s contract, this isn’t a great signing for the Clippers. I understand they have to fill out their roster and Cook is a veteran with playoff experience, but if he can’t shake off the rust that has come from not playing regular minutes the past two seasons and consistently hit the three-pointer this season, he will likely spend a lot of time in street clothes on the team’s inactive list.

While the contract value makes Cook’s addition something with increased value, especially for such a bottom-line focused team such as the Clippers, it’s not a signing that is going to inspire anyone.