Derrick

Jones

Jones Jr. had maybe his best performance of the season on Thursday. The versatile wing used a combination of free throws and inside-out scoring to reach the 20-point mark for the first time all season, which included some timely makes at the charity stripe down the stretch. He’s remained healthy since the start of February after returning from his second MCL sprain of the season. As he gets further removed from the injury, his opportunities should only increase.

Jones has suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee on two occasions this season, with both occurring in games against the Celtics. His most recent injury occurred during Saturday’s loss at home, as Celtics guard Payton Pritchard landed on Jones’ leg while diving for a loose ball. Jones has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain and will miss at least six weeks before being re-evaluated. John Collins will continue to start at power forward, and there may be additional minutes available to Kobe Sanders and Kobe Brown.

Jones injured his right knee during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Celtics when Payton Pritchard landed on his leg while attempting to reel in a loose ball. Jones eventually limped back to the locker room after being helped off the floor, but he was still seen struggling to put weight on his right leg after the game. This is the same knee that he injured during a November 16 game in Boston, with the sprained right MCL sidelining him for nearly six weeks.

Collins returned to the Clippers’ lineup on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s win over the Pistons with an illness. And he continues to perform well, providing third-round value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. Tuesday’s game was the second for Derrick Jones Jr. (8/1/3/2/1 with one three-pointer) since returning from a knee injury, and he played 20 minutes off the bench to Collins’ 22. Tuesday’s blowout affected the minutes split, but fantasy managers should watch for it when the Clippers face more formidable opponents.

Collins did not play in Sunday’s win over the Pistons, with Nicolas Batum replacing him in the starting lineup. That will likely remain the case if Collins can’t play on Tuesday, even with Derrick Jones Jr. making his return from a knee injury on Sunday.

Sunday’s game was the first for Jones since November 16, as a sprained right MCL sidelined him. “Airplane Mode” was under a minutes restriction and John Collins (illness) was unavailable, so there isn’t too much to learn from Sunday’s game regarding how the power forward minutes will be divided in the future. Nicolas Batum (12/4/1/1 with four three-pointers) filled in for Collins and played 31 minutes against the Pistons. A lot more will be learned about the Clippers’ power forward rotation if Collins is available on Tuesday against the Kings.

The Clippers won’t have John Collins for Sunday’s game, as he has been ruled out due to illness. Batum will fill the void in the starting lineup, due partially to Derrick Jones Jr. being under a minutes restriction in his first game back from a knee injury. Batum is not worth the streaming risk in fantasy leagues.

Sunday’s game will be the first that Collins has missed this season. While Derrick Jones Jr. will make his return from a knee injury, it’s unlikely that he’ll be asked to play starters’ minutes in his first game back. Nicolas Batum may see his playing time increase on Sunday due to Collins’ absence.

Sidelined since November 16, Jones is off the injury report and ready to play on Sunday. Given the amount of time missed, he’ll likely come off the bench against the Pistons. Jones’ availability affects John Collins the most, with the veteran forward having moved into the starting lineup. Collins has played better recently, but we’ll see if that continues with Jones available.

In the aftermath of his sprained right MCL, Jones was given a recovery timeline that suggested he would not be able to return until sometime in January. While that could wind up being the case, Jones is ahead of schedule, according to his head coach. Lue confirmed last week that Jones was ahead of schedule, and Jones’ progression to 5-on-5 suggests he could be back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Jones’ availability affects John Collins the most, as he has been the replacement in the starting lineup.