Derrick Jones Jr. Will Be Clippers’ X-Factor During Their Playoff Chase

With 25 games left in the season, the Los Angeles Clippers are still in the mix for the playoffs.

At 27-30, Los Angeles is currently the 10th seed in the uber-competitive Western Conference. The Clippers have a cushion of 5.5 games over the 11th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies for the final play-in spot, but L.A. should be looking to improve its seeding.

The good news is that the Clippers have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NBA, according to Tankathon, so there's plenty of reason for optimism. If LA is going to take advantage of its forgiving stretch run, it'll need someone besides Kawhi Leonard or Darius Garland to step up.

A Healthy Derrick Jones Jr. Could Swing Clippers Season

That's where Derrick Jones Jr. comes in. It hasn't been an easy season for the high-flying wing, who's been limited to just 25 games this season while dealing with two different Grade 2 MCL sprains to the same knee, but he has the potential to be the X-factor for the Clippers during their playoff push.

This season, Jones Jr. is averaging 10.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the field. Those numbers may not exactly jump off the page, but it's his overall impact on both sides of the ball that forces head coach Tyronn Lue to keep him on the court.

It's a smaller sample size this year, but Jones Jr. is averaging a career-high 1.1 blocks and adding 0.8 steals per game. With his athleticism, there aren't a lot of positions he can't guard, and that versatility offers Lue more flexibility with his lineups.

He's also a reliable contributor on offense, as this is the fourth time in his last five seasons that he's shooting 50% or better from the field. Jones Jr. has never been looked at as a three-point shooter in his career, but he's taken a step forward in that department this season, shooting a career-high 36.5% on the highest volume of his career.

Simply put, Jones Jr. is one of the better role players in the NBA, and it's no surprise that the Clippers have played better when he's contributing on both sides of the basketball. In the eight games since his return, he's scored 10+ points in half of them. L.A. has a 3-1 record in those games, and a 1-3 record when he hasn't.

Jones Jr. also has plenty of playoff experience, reaching the 2020 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and the 2024 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks. For a Clippers team that could encounter some must-win games before the playoffs officially start, that alone should earn him the trust of Lue, perhaps even in an expanded role.

If the Clippers are going to make the playoffs, it will be with Leonard and Garland leading them, but Jones Jr. has the potential to make LA a tough out as it gears up for one final push toward the postseason.