Mavs-Clippers preview: Jones will be sidelined in his AAC return

Players come and players go for NBA teams.

Some become part of the fabric of an organization and are beloved by fans.

Others, we barely know.

Derrick Jones Jr. was a little of both for the Mavericks.

The 6-5 swingman spent just one season in Dallas, but what a season it was. He helped personify a defense that grew teeth after the All-Star break and could knock down a three-point shot when defenses ignored him.

Jones moved along when the Los Angeles Clippers offered him a three-year, $30-million contract in free agency after Jones helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals in June.

He cashed in. Nobody can hold that against him.

Unfortunately for Jones, his return to American Airlines Center on Thursday (and Saturday in a rematch) won’t be the way he’d hoped. He’s out with a right hamstring strain until at least Christmas.

But Jones has brought the Clippers much of the same mojo that he brought to the Mavericks. He supplied some instant credibility on the defensive end.

The Clippers are seventh in the NBA in total defensive rating. That’s a major upgrade from last season, when they were 17^th in total defensive rating.

This year was a bit of a gamble for the Clippers. They parted ways with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard has yet to play this season, although he is nearing a debut, according to reports.

But the Clippers have prospered with a defensive philosophy, to which Jones has been a primary contributor.

Here’s what else to look for as the Mavericks and Clippers get familiar with each other with two games in the next three days.

• The Clippers are coming off a 144-107 win over the Utah Jazz. In that game, they shot 59.8 percent from the field. James Harden rolled up 41 points as all five starters scored 12 or more points. They were up 81-47 at halftime. That win stopped a three-game losing streak (Minnesota, Houston, at Denver).
• The Mavericks will await the status of Luka Dončić (left heel contusion), who did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday.
• The Clippers are expected to be without Jones, Leonard and Terance Mann.
• The Mavericks are starting a four-game home stand. It is the first time they will play multiple games at home since a five-game stay at American Airlines Center that ended on Nov. 8.
• The Clippers will play again at AAC on Saturday. Their three-game trip ends Monday at Memphis.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (15-12) at MAVERICKS (17-9)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Thursday

WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: WFAA, KFAA-29, MavsTV Stream

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko