Key Highlights
- Derrick Jones Jr. he averaged 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in the playoffs, while shooting 41.7 percent from three and 63.6 percent from two.
- The Dallas Mavericks outscored the Los Angeles Clippers by 25 points during Jones' 140 minutes.
- Jones has been a key part of Dallas' success this season, with his plus-1.8 Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus ranking 41st in the league.
The 2024 trade deadline changed the season for the Dallas Mavericks. After hovering around .500 until early February – clapping to avoid the Play-In – the Mavericks landed PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford before closing out the year 21-7 and moving up to fifth in the West with a 50- 32.
Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks are looking for more width and size inside. The arrival of Washington and Gafford provided both, while opening up a lot of dynamic baggage for the program.
Unlike his predecessor in Grant Williams, Washington was actually the offensive wing defender they craved who also provided off-the-bounce pizazz, despite his cold outside shooting. Gafford gave them another spring lob threat and proved invaluable when Derek Lively III missed the final eight games of the regular season.
Dallas' supporting cast is refined and important, but neither mid-season acquisition worked as i star in five games. Washington's soft defense was excellent, but he also missed 75% of his threes, most of which looked comfortable. Gafford has battled the bug a bit, seeing his playing time fluctuate and shooting just 40 percent from the floor as a rim-playing center.
Why Derrick Jones Jr. So Important In Dallas?
Instead, it's been a role player, one signed late in the summer to a veteran's mini-deal after weeks spent struggling through the unemployment crisis: Derrick Jones Jr. During his first seven years, the sprightly 6-foot-7 wing flopped. league – Phoenix went to Miami, then Portland to Chicago – and never found the right place for him. He's always been a high-flying guy, but his bounce and the need to use his physical tools in consistent defensive pressure made for a strong fit in the frontstops.
That changed in Dallas, where his athleticism, defensive chops and penchant for the ball made him integral to the Mavericks' success. For years, they've wanted a defensive-minded forward who can thrive offensively by playing close to Doncic's brilliance. Jones has been just that, a lead role player who covers the gap for offensive wunderkinds.
He has advanced to five playoff appearances. It helped guide Dallas to the bottom of the second round, holding a 3-2 lead over the Clippers entering Friday's Game 6. Jones averaged 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Sporting a 62.6 true shooting percentage, he has converted 14 of 22 times (63.6 percent) and five of his 12 triples (41.7 percent).
In order to limit the work space for Doncic and Irving, Los Angeles ignores many of Dallas' off-ball shooters. Jones has punished that gambit when the action flows in his direction. He is a visionary cutter and he makes the broad lines of flight given to him into smooth, flexible, and punishing ends. When the rim is visible, he reminds everyone that he was once a champion of the Slam Dunk Contest with a 46-inch vertical and a nickname. Airplane mode Jones. He seems to be crossing the line on some of these buckets.
All the while, he was feuding with Los Angeles star Paul George. Some of George's mercurial performances are rooted in his hesitant decision-making. When he decides, the Clippers and his offensive moves flow much better.
But that is not the only reason for his inconsistency. Jones hunted down the veteran star, who often folds aprons in his work office. George's hesitation is the result of Jones' outburst. It's not as simple as “make the first decision you see or hear” when Jones is strapped to him, ready to jump in and use his physical tools. His screen navigation is curved, elegant and persistent.
Screens should be a fruitful revolving door of cases: one person passes, and there is a delay before the next one follows behind and is left playing catch. Jones throws himself into that first door next to George.
It made him uncomfortable and shines a light on one of the reasons why George had games with only 11, 13 and 14 shots between the absence of Kawhi Leonard and the limitations of the court. Los Angeles wants a sharper, more aggressive version of George. Jones said it's not allowed for many things.
Jones' best contributions came to bottle George. But he also took advantage of the Clippers' concerns about space, moonlighting as an interior guard to deny them lucky chances at the rim. There is a strong denial of his other rejections, as if he is not just turning himself in there, but to prevent them from entering his lane again. You are a trampoline park brought to life.
In this series, Dallas is putting up a 98.9 defensive rating with Jones on the floor. When he rests, that number jumps to 117.7. He was a versatile stopper, occasionally trying his hand and succeeding against James Harden, the southpaw shooter who has caused the Mavericks the most headaches so far.
Jones is an archetype that the playoffs are often unkind to: a defensive-minded wing without terrible shooting credentials. Any painful awakening is yet to happen. It is also a new image in the Doncic and Irving galaxy. They make the offense easy, especially Doncic, a bold, Picasso-style passer who is willing to sample any read if the result could be a basket.
Jones' finishing courage and efficiency help, too. A 34 percent three-point shooting percentage would be less dangerous if an active alternative eats up the space in front of you and hits the rim. He did that, clearly balancing jumpers and inside attempts.
Perhaps, the long ball will soon cool off, the base cuts stop and a different option in the Dallas wing reserve becomes more attractive. However, for now the traveler is thriving. He's building a lucrative payday – one that brings future stability to a place where he can continue to do exactly what he's been doing for the past seven months. It's an important talent program that is being broadcast on the national stage, exactly where the Mavericks have long hoped it would benefit them.
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