Clippers Lose Derrick Jones Jr. to MCL Sprain as LA's Injury Curse Strikes Again

Derrick Jones Jr. is officially out for Monday's game with a knee injury, which is the polite way of saying the LA Clippers' rotation is currently held together by duct tape and James Harden's sheer willpower.

Underdog NBA confirmed the downgrade, but the writing was on the wall the second Jones collided with Jaylen Brown on Sunday. Shams Charania reported it is a Grade 2 right MCL sprain, meaning Jones is looking at a six-week vacation before he even gets re-evaluated.

"Underdog NBA tweeted that Derrick Jones Jr. is listed out for Monday."

Losing Jones is a massive blow for a team that is rapidly running out of healthy bodies. He had started all 13 games this season, putting up around 11 points and five boards a night while doing the dirty work on the wing.

The Clippers' injury report is starting to read like a medical journal. Kawhi Leonard is already missing time with an ankle issue, and Bradley Beal's season ended two weeks ago with a fractured hip.

At this rate, Tyronn Lue is going to have to start pulling fans out of the expensive seats to play power forward.

Harden dropped 37 points against the Boston Celtics on Sunday just to keep things close, and he is going to have to carry an absurd usage rate going forward. Anyone looking at Clippers player props for the next month should probably just assume Harden is taking every single shot.

For now, Los Angeles has to figure out how to survive Monday night and the next six weeks without their most reliable wing defender. If you are a Clippers fan, it might be time to put your phone on do not disturb until January.