Clippers' Derrick Jones: Hurts hand, but should be fine
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Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said after Monday's 109-98 win over the Heat that Jones was available to return to the contest after tending to a hand issue in the second half and will be fine moving forward, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
Jones tallied nine points (4-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-3 FT), one assist and one steal across 16 minutes before exiting with 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter and heading to the locker room to get his hand checked. Though he went unused for the rest of the contest, Lue relayed that Jones isn't dealing with anything concerning and should be good to go for Wednesday's matchup with Brooklyn. The 27-year-old will likely remain with the second unit moving forward, though he could find himself in the starting lineup if Kawhi Leonard is given the night off Wednesday during the first leg of a back-to-back set.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Starting sans Leonard
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Jones is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones will get the starting nod in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (personal) on Wednesday. The veteran forward has started 32 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 threes in 24.7 minutes over this period. Jones is worth streaming as a stopgap solution for steals in fantasy leagues Wednesday.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Ceding starting spot to Leonard
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Jones is not in the Clippers' starting lineup against the Hawks on Saturday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Jones has started in all 32 games he's played in this season and is averaging a career-high 9.8 points per game across 24.7 minutes. However, he will come off the bench Saturday due to the return of Kawhi Leonard (knee), while Kris Dunn remains in the Clippers' starting five. Per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com, Leonard will be operating on a minutes restriction, so Jones should still see a good amount of playing time in a reserve role.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Posts solid line
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Jones amassed 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 32 minutes during Monday's 116-113 victory over New Orleans.
This was a solid all-around performance for Jones as he reached double figures for the third straight game. During that stretch, he's posted averages of 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks. Keep in mind that his usage could take a hit when the Clippers presumably get Kawhi Leonard (knee) back in the near future.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Notches steal and block in return
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Jones (hamstring) tallied eight points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3Pt), one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block across 20 minutes in Thursday's 118-95 win over the Mavericks.
Jones returned to the fold after a two-game absence due to a right hamstring strain. He took back his spot in the starting five from Amir Coffey but was eased back in with a lighter role than usual, as Jones saw about five fewer minutes than his season-long average (24.8). While Jones looks poised to stick on the top unit for the time being, he could be at risk of moving to the bench when Kawhi Leonard (knee) is cleared to make his season debut, which could happen as soon as next week.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Starting vs. Mavs
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Jones (hamstring) will play Thursday night against Dallas, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Jones has missed his squad's last two matchups while on the mend from a right hamstring strain, but has been given the green light to suit up Thursday. He'll rejoin the first unit, though coach Tyronn Lue noted the UNLV product will be on a minutes restriction, per Azarly. He was averaging 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his previous 10 appearances before going down with the injury.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Listed as questionable for Thursday
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Jones (hamstring) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Mavericks, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Jones was initially expected to be out for around two weeks according to a report from Dec. 10, but the former UNLV standout seems to be recovering more quickly than expected. The questionable tag suggests a decision on Jones' status will be made closer to Thursday's 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff. If he can't go, Nicolas Batum would likely remain in the starting lineup.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Out at least two weeks
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The Clippers announced Tuesday that Jones has a right hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones started each of the Clippers' first 25 games, averaging 25.0 minutes a night, so his absence will be a big blow. However, the Clippers also got some positive injury news Tuesday, as James Harden (groin), Mo Bamba (knee), Amir Coffey (shoulder) and Kris Dunn (illness) all logged full practices, while Kawhi Leonard (knee) was a partial participant.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Out with hamstring issue
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Jones won't return to Sunday's game against the Rockets due to right hamstring soreness, Joey Linn of SI.com reports. He totaled two points (1-1 FG) and one block over 12 minutes before exiting.
Jones didn't have much of an impact before his departure, and it'll be up to Nicolas Batum and Kai Jones to eat up more minutes in the frontcourt for the rest of the game while the Clippers are without several key players due to injury.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Scores 14 points in loss
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Jones finished Wednesday's 108-80 loss to Minnesota with 14 points (5-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 28 minutes.
The Clippers struggled badly on offense and mustered only 80 total points, but Jones was one of the few players who managed to score in double digits. Jones has scored in double digits in five of his last eight appearances, averaging 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in that stretch. He's not going to stand out as a scorer most of the time, but he'll remain valuable in fantasy as long as he stays in a starting role due to his across-the-board contributions.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Logs 15 points
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Jones produced 15 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and two steals across 25 minutes during Tuesday's 127-105 win over the Trail Blazers.
This was Jones' fifth game of the season with at least 15 points. He was ice cold before this performance, as he was held to six or fewer points in three previous outings. He's not the most consistent fantasy option, but he's currently sitting inside the top-150 players in nine-category formats with averages of 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 three-pointers.
Jones supplied 17 points (6-13 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 30 minutes during Friday's 104-88 win over the Kings.
The journeyman forward broke out for one of his best offensive performances so far in 2024-25, but it comes on the heels of a four-game stretch in which he shot 36.4 percent from the floor while failing to top eight points in any of the contests. Jones is still headed for the best season of his career as a strong three-and-D presence in the Clippers' starting five, averaging 10.3 points, 3.6 boards, 1.4 threes and 1.3 steals while shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Sets season high in loss
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Jones chipped in 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Monday's 134-128 loss to Oklahoma City.
Jones produced a bounce-back game after scoring only four points and shooting 1-for-5 from the field in Saturday's win over Toronto. The 27-year-old has reached the double-digit mark in scoring in seven of 11 regular-season outings, though his 20 points Monday marks a new season high. Jones has averaged 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 45.2 percent from beyond the arc across 27.1 minutes per game thus far.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Drops double digits in win
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Jones added 10 points (4-10 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 0-1 FT), two rebounds, two assists and a block over 22 minutes in Monday's 113-104 win against San Antonio.
Jones has been very involved in the Clippers offense, attempting at least six shots in every game so far. He is averaging 10.1 points and 27.4 minutes this season, both of which would be career highs, and while his efficiency has dipped following his first three games, his willingness to shoot allows for big scoring potential moving forward.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Part of first unit
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Jones will start Wednesday's game against the Suns, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones fills in for Kawhi Leonard (knee) at the power forward position Wednesday, slotting in between Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann in the frontcourt. With Leonard slated to miss multiple weeks, Jones is in line for extended run with the first unit to start the season. Jones started in 66 of 76 regular-season games with Dallas last season, averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 23.5 minutes.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Ready for opener vs. Suns
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Jones (rest) is expected to play in Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Suns, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Jones missed the club's final preseason game due to rest purposes, though he is expected to be 100 percent for the Clippers' Opening Night. The 27-year-old will likely draw the start with Kawhi Leonard (knee) ruled out. Jones is coming off a productive season with the Mavericks, and he should play a prominent role with the Clippers.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Receiving night off
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Jones won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Kings due to rest purposes, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The Clippers have seen enough of Jones in the preseason, so he'll take a seat for Thursday's finale. Nicolas Batum, Amir Coffey and Kobe Brown could see additional opportunities in Jones' absence.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Leading scorer in preseason win
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Jones scored a team-high 16 points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-10 FT) while adding one steal in 21 minutes during Friday's 101-99 preseason win over the Trail Blazers.
After scoring just three points combined in the Clippers' first two preseason contests, Jones got his offense rolling Friday. The veteran forward is expected to be a glue player for Los Angeles this season after signing a three-year deal, $30 million contract in free agency, but his fantasy contributions are likely to be modest -- he averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 1.1 threes for the Mavericks in 2023-24.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Not injured despite leaving early
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Jones (head) is fine and doesn't have any injury to worry about moving forward, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Despite leaving Tuesday's preseason game versus the Nets early with a head contusion, Jones isn't expected to miss any further time. Jones appears set to begin the 2024-25 campaign as one of the Clippers' starting forwards.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Won't return Tuesday
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Jones is out for the remainder of Tuesday's preseason game versus the Nets due to a head contusion, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Jones will end the contest with three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three blocks, one assist and one steal in 13 minutes. The 27-year-old forward has already begun to display the defensive prowess he can bring to the Clippers. Jones' next chance to suit up is Friday's preseason matchup with Portland.
