“Like I said, the guys in here now, we’re going to come in and be aggressive and do what we gotta do and, like I said, try to bring back a championship”. Amidst Paul George’s exit from the LA Clippers, Derrick Jones Jr. came out as the voice of hope. He highlighted that one player is not needed to give the team a fighting chance during the regular season. Four months later, a collective effort by the player and his squad has allowed the Clippers to hold a 15-12 win record. Because of his injury, however, Derrick Jones Jr could not participate during the last 2 games. Even as the Clippers look to travel to the American Airlines Center, the player’s condition may keep him from playing again in his old stomping grounds.

According to the LA Clippers Injury Report, Derrick Jones Jr is listed as ‘Questionable’ for the upcoming game. Team head coach Tyronn Lue provided an update on the player’s condition during the recent practice session.

He revealed, “DJ came back to a little bit of the practice. He didn’t finish the scrimmage part of it, though. But, he’s ahead of schedule, he’s feeling good, and so we don’t know about the game yet, but he’s feeling good”. Therefore, even if Jones Jr. cannot participate in the upcoming game against the Dallas Mavericks, his ongoing progress highlights that it won’t be long before he returns to the court.

10 days ago, the LA Clippers were in a precarious position. They had not 1, but 7 players listed on the Injury Report. Amidst this, Derrick Jones Jr. was someone who could be relied upon. After all, he had played in all 25 of the regular season games till that point. That streak of consistency, however, broke during the matchup against the Houston Rockets, when the medical team diagnosed Derrick Jones Jr with right hamstring soreness. Having played for only 12 minutes, the player left at halftime. He didn’t return for the duration of the matchup, nor in any of the other 2 matchups that came after the Clippers-Rockets one. If the recent update is to be believed, then the small forward/power forward will most likely miss his 3 consecutive game too.

Derrick Jones Jr occupies the space on the Injury Report alongside 4 other players. Kobe Brown is set to miss his 9 consecutive game as he continues to recover from his back injury. When asked about his injury status, Tyronn Lue replied “Kobe didn’t practice today, no. But he did some stuff on the court, full court. You know, running for the first time, shooting. I saw him get a couple dunks or whatever. So, he’s feeling better, and he’s progressing well”.

Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played even a single game this season, because of knee troubles. He is not set to make his debut against the Dallas Mavericks, either. Reportedly scheduled to undergo surgery to treat his fractured left middle finger, Terance Mann will be ‘OUT’ too. Since PJ Tucker and the Clippers have now reportedly parted ways, he anyway won’t be seen at the American Airlines Center in the next few hours.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks currently have 5 players listed on the Injury Report. From the looks of it, the Clippers will be going into the game possessing an advantage. After all, Luka Doncic will be ‘OUT’ as he recovers from his bruised left heel. The team lists Kyrie Irving as ‘Questionable’ because of right shoulder soreness. However, as reported by CBS Sports, the ailment may be a minor one. After all, Jason Kidd didn’t mention the player when discussing the injury report. Williams injured his left thumb, and reports indicate that he won’t be cleared in time to face the Clippers. On top of that, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum will continue building on their absence streak.

In light of these updates, both teams may have to make adjustments to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Clippers-Mavericks game look like?

In Derrick Jones Jr’s absence, Nicolas Batum can continue remaining a part of the starting lineup. In the 27 games in which he played, the power forward/small forward averaged 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Therefore, it may be up to the others to carry the offensive charge during the game.

In light of this update, the starting lineup for the LA Clippers will look something like this:

Similarly, given the updates for the Dallas Mavericks, their starting lineup may look something like this:

The LA Clippers or the Dallas Mavericks? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments down below.