The Los Angeles Clippers have already dealt with some rough injuries early in the season, and they keep taking hits. The latest injury is to Derrick Jones Jr., and he is expected to miss extended time because of a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee, according to ESPN's Shams Charania and Tomer Azerly of ClutchPoints.
“Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. sustained a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, sources tell ESPN. Jones was averaging a career high 10.9 points per game prior to the injury Sunday in Boston,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Clippers' wing depth is definitely being tested, and they will have to rely on some of the younger players to produce for the next month. Outside of Jones, the Clippers are still waiting to get Kawhi Leonard back as he continues to deal with a sprained ankle.
Before their game last week against the Denver Nuggets, Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank spoke about Leonard's injury.
“He's making progress,” Frank said. “With Kawhi, it wasn't just an ankle sprain. He also had a significant sprain in his foot as well. His ankle, when he sprained his ankle, it kind of triggered a mechanism in his foot as well. He's making really good progress. We'll continue to treat him, he'll be going on the trip, but we'll probably have a better feel for it next week.”
The Clippers have already lost Bradley Beal for the season after he suffered a hip fracture, and they're looking for more players to step up and provide the scoring load they expected Beal and Leonard to take on. Jones was supposed to be one of those players, but now they will have to rely on more of James Harden, as well as Ivica Zubac, Nicolas Batum, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and others.
