Derrick Jones Jr. ready to bring defense, aggressiveness to Clippers
The 27-year-old experienced a career resurgence last year in Dallas
LAS VEGAS — The man affectionately dubbed “Airplane Mode” introduced himself after the LA Clippers won their second straight game to open Summer League, an 87-79 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
While Derrick Jones Jr. wasn’t showcased on the floor, the forward had plenty to say to a small contingent of reporters afterward when made available for the first time since he put pen to paper on a three-year, $30 million deal.
“Damn near the first day of free agency,” Jones told reporters when asked how early in the free agent process a line of communication was opened between himself and the Clippers.
“Dallas, they moved in a different direction,” explained Jones. “They signed somebody else, so I was ready to move on.”
The moving in a different direction refers to the Mavericks inking forward Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27 million contract at the outset of free agency, thus making Jones a worthwhile consideration for plenty of teams.
Jones, 27, is coming off a season in which he averaged career highs in points (8.6), minutes (23.5), starts (66), and games played (76). The forward averaged 9.1 points across 22 playoff games as the spearhead of Dallas’ defense en route to a Finals appearance, shooting 36.9 percent on 3s.
The Clippers prioritized Jones once he hit the open market as the odds of the defensive savant being retained by the Mavericks went by the wayside.
“I talked to the [Clippers’] ownership and front office and coaching staff,” Jones told reporters. “The route that they was willing to go to was towards me and having me come in there and fill that three-four role, be aggressive offensively, and be who I am defensively. Go out there and try to bring a championship back.”
Last year, Jones was graded as taking the toughest assignments in the NBA, per Todd Whitehead of Synergy Sports, guarding an opponent’s scoring ball handler 54 percent of the time. Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort was second at 50 percent.
While the Clippers certainly have capable perimeter defenders on the roster in the form of Kawhi Leonard and Terance Mann, nabbing Jones could be seen as a coup for a team that is looking to reshape their identity in the aftermath of Paul George’s departure.
“Defensively, when I was with the Mavs, I was on-ball, best defender, guarding the best player every night,” said Jones. “That’s one thing that I took pride in. I told them every time that I want the best player, so they put me with the best and I’m gonna do my best.”
The Dallas Mavericks were 2.0 points per 100 possessions better defensively last season when Jones was on the floor as opposed to off. That number moved to 2.4 during the postseason. While it wasn’t just all Jones’s doing, he was the one at the lead of nearly every single important defensive possession for the Mavericks as an on-ball defender who would fight over screens, handle responsibilities against the toughest scorers, and help in areas he was needed.
According to the NBA’s tracking data, Jones held Paul George to 10-for-24 shooting in their first-round series against one another, including two blocks of George.
“We’re not even making it like that,” said Jones when asked about himself and others being brought in to potentially replace George’s production and value. “He chose to go to a different team and I chose to come over here. The guys that chose to come over here chose to come over here. It’s a business at the end of the day.”
Jones continued: “Ain’t no hard feelings. I never played with PG, so I don’t know how he is as a teammate so I can’t speak on that. But, like I said, the guys that’s in here now, we’re gonna come in and be aggressive and do what we gotta do and, like I said, try to bring back a championship.”
Jones has spent eight seasons in the NBA, logging time with five different teams—Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, and Portland. It’s that grind that has made Jones work for everything he’s had, and a big key for that is on the defensive end.
“For me, I’ve always been like that since I was a kid,” said Jones. “Growing up, I always played up [a position], I always played older guys. In order to play against older players, you gotta be able to do something good. I was a good defender and I was athletic when I was young, so I always stuck with that and played defense. Got to the league and found my niche.”
While not known as a shooter—after all, he did smash home 62 dunks last season and most certainly owns a highlight slam over your favorite player—Jones did make 82 long-range efforts this past year. And Dallas granted him the spacing necessary, thanks to both Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, to get off a lot of uncontested looks. Jones managed 34.8 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s last season, and 35 percent on wide-open ones.
But in the playoffs, Jones connected on 37.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s, representing a nice uptick that allowed him to stay on the floor a bit more.
“For me, I just always stay on the defensive end, lock up, and on the offensive end, everything’s gonna come the same,” Jones remarked to reporters. “Whenever I got shots, take ‘em. Pick-and-roll, pindowns, whenever it comes, just be aggressive on offense.”
And the idea of playing alongside both James Harden and Kawhi Leonard intrigues the forward, knowing he can help them on the defensive end while also getting looks as a result of their on-ball offensive gravity.
“They both future Hall of Famers,” Jones said of Harden and Leonard. “Elite offensively. James has become a better defender, and Kawhi has always been who he is on the defensive end. That’s one person who I’m gonna pick his brain on the defensive end. Whenever I can get in the lab with them, I’m gonna be there.”
Jones represents an interesting shift for the Clippers, navigating away from the three-star method and back into a two-stars-plus-capable-roleplayers mentality that they had in previous years. It’s hard to argue with the adjustment as it allows the two remaining stars to see more of the ball, which can only be a good thing. Plus, it surrounds them with defense-first players who can ease their burden a bit more.
“The opportunity that I’m gonna have here, going in there, just being who I am, and coaches, they know the game that I play,” said Jones. “They want me to be aggressive. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Make no mistake, Jones is willing to work. And he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make an impact on a team that’s yearning for that type of player.
“Whatever I can do with the team, I’m doing it,” Jones echoed.
But just don’t make the gaffe of calling him by the wrong nickname.
“Airplane Mode, DJ, it don’t really matter; Flight 55 for now, whatever they decide to call me,” said Jones.
“Just not DJJ. Just not DJJ.”
Now strap in and get ready for Airplane Mode to take flight.