Clippers' Derrick Jones: To be re-evaluated in six weeks
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Jones has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Jones suffered a sprained right MCL on Nov. 16 in a loss to the Celtics and appeared in just four games before re-injuring the same knee in Saturday's loss to Boston. The 28-year-old forward is set to be re-evaluated during the All-Star break, meaning he isn't expected to return until mid-to-late February at the earliest. With Jones sidelined, Nicolas Batum, Kobe Sanders and Kobe Brown are candidates for increased playing time going forward.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Dealing with right knee injury
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Jones suffered a right knee injury during the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 146-115 loss to the Celtics on Saturday and did not return, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones could put barely any weight on his right leg while being helped to the locker room. The injury is to the same knee he hurt against Boston on Nov. 16, which caused Jones to miss 17 straight games. Jones will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury, but the veteran forward is in jeopardy of being sidelined for Monday's contest against the Warriors. Kobe Sanders and Nicolas Batum would be in line for more minutes off the bench if Jones were to miss time.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Goes to locker room
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Jones went to the locker room early in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the Celtics, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports.
Jones appeared to roll his right ankle in a collision with Payton Pritchard, and the former was helped off the floor and into the locker room without putting much pressure on the affected leg. If Jones doesn't return, he'll finish with 19 points (8-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 0-1 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block over 25 minutes. Nicolas Batum and Kris Dunn could see more minutes down the stretch if Jones remains in the locker room.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Limited output in return
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Jones (knee) tallied three points (1-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and three rebounds across 18 minutes off the bench Sunday in the Clippers' 112-99 win over the Pistons.
After starting in each of his first 13 appearances of the season before being shut down in mid-November due to an MCL sprain of his right knee, Jones was eased back into the rotation as a reserve in his return to action Sunday. The 28-year-old offered little production in his limited run, and though Jones' playing time should climb a bit in his future appearances, he could struggle to see a consistent 25-to-30-minute role when both Kawhi Leonard and John Collins (illness) are available.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Coming off bench Sunday
Rotowire
Jones will come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction Sunday against the Pistons, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones has been sidelined since Nov. 16 due to an MCL sprain, but he will make his return to the lineup in a reserve role Sunday. Not surprisingly, Jones will face a minutes restriction in his return.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Returning to action Sunday
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Jones (knee) is off the injury report and will be available for Sunday's game against Detroit, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Jones has been out of action since Nov. 16 due to a sprained MCL, so if he plays Sunday, he'll likely be operating with heavy restrictions. His return could result in fewer minutes for rookie Kobe Sanders, who has been a mainstay in the rotation over the last five-plus weeks. Before missing time due to the injury, Jones averaged 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 24.9 minutes per game over 13 appearances.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Going through 5-on-5 work
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Jones (knee) has progressed to going through 5-on-5 work, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Jones is nearing his return from a sprained MCL, as going through 5-on-5 work is typically the final step in the rehab process. Jones will likely have heavy minutes restrictions in his first few games back, but once he's fully up to speed, he could chip away at Jordan Miller's minutes.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Progressing in recovery
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Jones (knee) was spotted working on the side during Saturday's practice, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Jones suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in mid-November against the Celtics. His return to the court Saturday -- albeit in a limited capacity -- is an encouraging sign, and head coach Ty Lue relayed that Jones has progressed to 3-on-3 work and is ahead of his recovery schedule, per NBA writer Justin Russo. In 13 regular-season games before sustaining the injury, Jones averaged 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.2 threes, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals over 24.9 minutes per game.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: To be re-evaluated in six weeks
Rotowire
Jones sustained a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Jones suffered a right knee injury in Sunday's loss to the Celtics and is set to miss an extended period. The veteran forward was a mainstay in the starting five in his first 13 regular-season appearances, during which he averaged 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists in 24.9 minutes per contest. With Jones sidelined, Nicolas Batum, Kobe Sanders and Bogdan Bogdanovic (hip) are candidates to see increased minutes.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Confirmed out for Monday
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Jones (knee) is out for Monday's game against the 76ers, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
Jones left Sunday's game against Boston early and was spotted using crutches. The Clippers are describing his injury as soreness for now, but it's possible he will be evaluated further. Nicolas Batum and Kobe Sanders could both see increased run in Jones' absence.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Won't return Sunday
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Jones will not return to Sunday's game against Boston, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
Jones left the game with a right knee injury and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest. He's likely to be evaluated further, but his status for Monday's game against the 76ers is in jeopardy. If he misses time, guys like Nicolas Batum, Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller (hamstring) could become more involved.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Exits with knee injury
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Jones was helped to the locker room after sustaining an apparent right knee injury in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Celtics, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Jaylen Brown crashed into Jones' knee, and he remained on the floor for an extended period before being helped to the locker room. If the 28-year-old forward is unable to return, Nicolas Batum, Kobe Sanders and Bogdan Bogdanovic are candidates for increased minutes the rest of the way.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Turns in 16 points
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Jones posted 16 points (5-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 126-107 loss to the Thunder.
Jones has rattled off three consecutive double-digit scoring totals over the past week following a two-game regression. Although his spot with the first team seems secure, he's yet to eclipse 30 minutes of playing time in any of his seven contests. He cedes his role to the bench a bit more often than the other starters, which causes his totals to fluctuate.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Exits to locker room vs. Miami
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Jones exited to the locker room after sustaining an apparent leg injury in the second quarter of Monday's game against the Heat, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Jones was unable to finish a lob thrown by Kawhi Leonard and landed awkwardly on his leg before limping to the locker room in the final minute of the second quarter. If Jones is unable to return for the second half, John Collins and Nicolas Batum are candidates for increased minutes.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Logs 17 points in rout
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Jones logged 17 points (6-6 FG, 5-5 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 23 minutes during Friday's 129-102 win over Phoenix.
Jones continues to make the case for a starting role despite the arrival of John Collins. He actually served one fewer minute than Collins in the blowout, but that could have been more about the margin of victory than anything else. Still, it could be an interesting battle to monitor, as the Clippers made a substantial financial investment in Collins and want to see the payoff.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Produces in small sample
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Jones totaled 12 points (5-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one rebound, one assist and one block across 18 minutes during Wednesday's 129-108 loss to Utah.
Jones played the fewest minutes of all Clippers starters but was efficient during his time on the court. He's a three-and-D presence in addition to being a constant lob threat. John Collins played 28 minutes off the bench in his Clippers debut and poses a threat to Jones' spot in the rotation.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Draws preseason start
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Jones is in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Guangzhou Loong Lions, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Jones will draw the start for the preseason opener, resulting in John Collins being shifted to a bench role. Jones drew starts in 55 of 77 regular-season appearances a season ago and is expected to compete for the final starting spot with Collins as the 2025-26 campaign approaches.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Logs three swats in Game 7 loss
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Jones registered 12 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-4 FT), three blocks, two rebounds and one steal over 17 minutes during Saturday's 120-101 loss to Denver in Game 7 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Jones received the starting nod during Saturday's win-or-go-home matchup and was one of five Clippers to score in double figures. Moreover, he led the club in blocks despite playing only 17 minutes. The forward played a muted role in the club's first-round series loss to the Nuggets, averaging 7.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks across 18.6 minutes per game. Jones appeared in a career-high 77 regular-season games (55 starts) during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging a career-high 10.1 points along with 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.0 three-pointers and 0.8 assists across 24.3 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old has two years remaining on his current contract.
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Clippers' Derrick Jones: Absent from injury report
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Jones (knee) isn't listed on the Clippers' injury report ahead of Thursday's Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Jones seemingly picked up a knee injury late in Game 5, but the issue won't prevent him from suiting up Thursday. Jones' role has decreased recently, as he played just 14 and 15 minutes over the last two games after averaging 24.3 minutes per game during the regular season.
Jones (knee) contributed seven points (3-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt) and one rebound over 14 minutes during Tuesday's 131-115 loss to Denver in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Jones was barely noticeable, failing to have an impact as the Clippers fell behind 3-2 in the series. Jones appeared to suffer a knee injury late in the game after trying to fight over a Russell Westbrook screen. While it didn't seem to be too serious, it is something to monitor heading into Game 6.
