Kai Jones continues to show fans why Clippers signed him

There are plenty of variables for the LA Clippers heading into this season. You can argue that no team in the league needed preseason more desperately than them, given all the new faces the Clippers have present on their roster.

Ty Lue said it himself: this team is not there yet, and they have a long way to go. There are still many questions yet to be answered. This uncertainty will lead to the Clippers having some growing pains this season, but it is all part of the process of re-shaping a team following the departure of a star.

In the meantime, one player in Los Angeles is answering several of the questions that had been surrounding him. Signed by the Clippers at the end of the 2023-24 season, Kai Jones was a big question mark heading into the preseason. He did not play in an NBA game last year following some off-court troubles.

Kai began the 2023-24 preseason with the Charlotte Hornets, before being released by the team ahead of their first regular season contest. It was initially unclear as to what Jones' future would look like, given that he was seeking therapy for help with his mental health.

Kai Jones ranks second on the team in preseason FG%

Now, it appears that Kai has put many of his past distractions behind him, with his performances in preseason to this point being indicative of just the kind of basketball talent he has always been. Through two preseason contests, Jones is averaging 8.5 points per night while grabbing 5.5 rebounds a game as well.

He is doing it all while shooting an impressive 72.7% from the floor. That number ranks higher than every other player on the roster not named Ivica Zubac. Kai has shown that he can impact the game with his athleticism, which was always one of his biggest strengths coming in.

Jones is getting more comfortable doing the little things like setting screens, running the floor and blocking out on rebounds. As he does, he game continues to blossom. He has had mostly minimal opportunity thus far, but Kai has done the most with what he has been given to this point.

His play through two preseason games has been extremely encouraging, and something the Clippers fanbase is probably breathing a sigh of relief at. With so many unknowns on this team, seeing Kai Jones already come together and look like a fringe-rotation level player is a big positive. If he continues on this current trajectory, Jones will be bringing Intuit Dome to its feet with his high-flying dunks in no time.