Most Important Reserve on the Clippers Next Season

The Los Angeles Clippers will enter the season without serious postseason aspirations for the first time in a while. After ending the Kawhi Leonard era, it's a new day in LA. Obviously, Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Ty Lue all want to remain as competitive as possible, but nobody looking at the Clippers roster thinks that there is a contender hiding in plain sight.

There are still ways that this team can punch above its weight. A competitive season in which young players show improvement is more than Clippers fans can hope for. There is one reserve on the team who can help the Clippers achieve their goals more than any other rotation player.

A Healthy Derrick Jones Jr. Can Help the Clippers Exceed Expectations

Derrick Jones Jr. has largely been a starter since joining the Clippers in the 2024 offseason. He started in 45 out of his 50 games last season. When everyone was fully healthy, he would lose his starting spot to Kris Dunn or John Collins.

In the new-look Clippers, however, it's more likely that Jones Jr. will be a reserve. After the arrival of Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura, the Clippers' starting frontcourt may be set. Ingram, Hachimura, and Brook Lopez will likely start next to Darius Garland. The starting shooting guard spot is still up for grabs.

Jones Jr. could get a chance to start if Ty Lue wants to go big. He could even start over Hachimura if Lue prefers more defensive versatility in the starting lineup.

Regardless of his starting status, Jones Jr. will play a lot of minutes for this team. He will likely close a ton of games as well.

In fact, he will be one of the X-factors. After Kris Dunn, Jones Jr. is the second-best defender on the team. Thanks to his superior size, length, and athleticism, he may even be better than Dunn at defending forwards.

In addition to his individual defense, Jones Jr. is also an excellent help defender. He averaged 0.9 steals and one block per game last season, consistently disrupting opposing offenses. His ability to guard multiple positions, switch onto smaller players, and still impact shots at the rim or force turnovers will be very important for the Clippers.

The Clippers can use all the defense they can get. They will have a lot of holes on the perimeter that they will have to plug. Garland-Keaton Wagler duo will be a defensive liability when they are on the court together. Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura have the size, but they are below-average defenders. Brook Lopez is too slow and unathletic at this point in his career to be an impactful defender.

That is why Lue has to find minutes for the likes of Jones Jr. and Dunn. If the 29-year-old small forward can stay healthy, he will have a big role. If he can continue to improve his shooting and become more than a wide-open catch-and-shoot guy, Jones Jr. will be one of the most important players on the team next season.

The Clippers don't have the personnel to be a good defensive team. They have to get to a level where they are at least respectable on that end to be competitive night in and night out. Getting a healthy Jones Jr. who can give them impactful 25-30 minutes per game will be a good way for the Clippers to get there.