Derrick Jones Jr. hopes to return for Heat this season, but ‘not going to rush nothing’
Although the Miami Heat could breathe a sigh of relief when the MRI on Derrick Jones Jr.’s right knee Monday revealed a pair of bone bruises, the small forward’s reaction was a bit more complex. Jones, in the midst of a breakout season, just knew the knee hurt: He hadn’t set an expectation one way or the other for what the diagnosis might read.
“I didn’t know, honestly,” Jones said Wednesday, speaking publicly for the first time since suffering the injury Sunday in a 106-97 win against the New York Knicks. “I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself thinking and just getting in my head, and losing my mind that way, so I just tried to keep a level head and the X-rays came back negative. And I was just getting ready, preparing for this MRI that I had to take.”
The Heat’s relief came because of how gruesome the injury potentially seemed. When Jones’ right knee buckled upon landing after a layup attempt, Miami could rightly fear the worst. Non-contact injuries often yield torn ligaments and a tear could sideline him into next season.
Instead, Jones will be reevaluated after six weeks of rehabilitation, which is is already underway. Missing six weeks would knock Jones out a minimum of 18 games. In a best case scenario, Jones would return for the final 16 games of the season, but he can’t say yet whether he expects to be back for the end of the regular season.
“I hope and pray that I am, but, like they said, I’m not going to rush nothing,” Jones said inside Heat’s locker room at AmericanAirlines Arena before the Miami faced the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. “This is something that hurt. I hurt my knee and just I want to be back.”
For now, Jones’ activity will be limited to lifting weights as he tries to regain strength in his right knee.
Jones, who said he’s never had a serious knee injury, had emerged as a major contributor in Miami this season largely because of his athleticism. In 37 games so far this season, Jones is averaging 7.4 points per game and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor.
“As a basketball player, competitor, you never want to miss any time. That’s one thing that I don’t want to do, but I know that my guys in this locker room they’ve got my back,” Jones said. “They’re going to do whatever it takes to keep the team pushing and to keep us going.”
This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 7:12 PM.