With Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers are making a new name for themselves
10/28/2024 11:22 PM
When the Los Angeles Clippers allowed Paul George to walk in free agency this offseason, many questioned why they would allow that. A star of George’s caliber is incredibly hard to find, but allowing George to walk gave the Clippers a number of options to improve their team. Among the biggest moves they made were the additions of Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn.
Jones Jr. was an unexpected addition after he made an agent change before free agency and complicated his negotiating capabilities with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs pivoted to New Orleans Pelicans free agent Naji Marshall, clearing the path for Derrick Jones Jr. to find a new home with the team that suddenly had the space to sign him. Jones Jr. was signed to a three-year, $30 million deal.
Kris Dunn was a free agent guard from the Utah Jazz and was acquired in the sign-and-trade that included guard Russell Westbrook. He was ultimately signed to a three-year, $17 million deal, effectively taking over the backup point guard spot that Westbrook struggled with last season.
Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn’s impact on the Clippers
The Clippers started the season with a loss against the Phoenix Suns in the first ever game at Intuit Dome. That was a close game, however, with both Jones Jr. and Dunn showcasing portions of their skillsets on both ends of the floor, but primarily on defense.
Winning cures everything, however, and allows some of the performances to stick out even more. That’s exactly the case with the impressive two-game road trip the Clippers just had against the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors.
LA defeated the Nuggets and Warriors in a couple of close games, with Dunn and Jones Jr. being key contributors to back-to-back impressive performances.
Through these first three games, Kris Dunn has recorded 12 deflections to go along with his six steals. The 12 deflections is tied for the third most in the NBA behind only Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (21) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (16).
Derrick Jones Jr. also isn’t far behind, sitting at 10 deflections and five total steals through three games.
Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. have combined for 11 steals and 22 deflections (per NBA Stats) in 3 games.pic.twitter.com/WucTl7ri6x
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 28, 2024
The two defensive-minded players have been a big reason for the jump the Clippers have taken defensively. In the preseason, the Clippers had the second-best defensive rating in the league at 94.2 points per 100 possessions, behind only the Portland Trail Blazers.
Through the first three games of the regular season, the Clippers have the third best defensive rating in the league at 103.2 points per 100 possessions. They trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder (90.8 DRTG) and Golden State Warriors (95.9 DRTG).
Their opponents haven’t been easy either. They lost an overtime thriller against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns. In what was an emotional game with the full unveil of the Intuit Dome, Durant drilled a game-tying fadeaway in the final seconds to force overtime, where the Suns ended up winning.
The Clippers then went to Denver on the first night of a back-to-back where they beat three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in a place they haven’t won since Christmas Day 2020. And that was a game without fans. The last time the Clippers beat the Nuggets in Denver where fans were able to attend was February 2018, almost six years ago.
On the second night of a back-to-back set, the Clippers went to San Francisco to face a well-rested Golden State Warriors team that had won both of their first two games against the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers by 35+ points. Another team-wide effort led to another big victory.
James Harden has recorded three straight double-doubles for the Clippers to start the year.
Ivica Zubac is averaging 22.7 points, 14 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game as he leads the league in boards.
Norman Powell recorded a 37 point game against the Nuggets, including 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Derrick Jones Jr. had 14 first-half points against the Warriors, keeping the Clippers in it while James Harden found his shot and Norman Powell dealt with foul trouble.
Kris Dunn had six points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals, and seven deflections against the Warriors in the win as well.
According to the NBA's tracking data, in addition to his 4 official steals this evening, LA Clippers guard Kris Dunn racked up 7 deflections.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) October 28, 2024
And just wait until Kawhi Leonard returns, hopefully healthy.
This is what the Clippers envisioned when they let Paul George walk to free agency: A much more complete team centered around a star or two, but with much better complementary talent and specialists.
Now with a five-game homestand coming up, the Clippers have a chance to continue establishing themselves as one of the grittiest teams in the league.
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