The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off a gutsy win against the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-112 to improve to a 3-8 record and they did it with a dominant defensive effort spearheaded by forward Derrick Jones Jr. 

Jones Jr. finished the game with 14 points while shooting 4-7 from three point range, but his real impact for the Clippers came from his five rebounds, three defensive, and four blocks.

He had the tough task of guarding two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which didn't pan out all that well considering Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 40 points, but the impact that Jones Jr. had on the rest of the floor could not be understated. 

Jones Jr. came into this season with a lot to prove. After suffering multiple knee injuries last season that limited him to 50 games last season, but Jones Jr. is embracing both his health and the role that he has on the Clippers' roster. 

The Clippers are not a defense-forward team, especially after trading away forward Kawhi Leonard this offseason, so Jones Jr. has an even more important role as a defender than usual. 

He stands out as the leader of the Los Angeles defense and the main defender on the team. It's not an easy task by any means, but Jones Jr. has shown that he can be up to the task. 

Gilgeous-Alexander definitely got the better of him when the Clippers and Thunder faced off, but Jones still rose to the challenge against one of the best players in the league. Being so singular in the Clippers' defensive scheme, Jones Jr. knows that he's going to have the toughest assignments, like Gilgeous-Alexander, and he's prepared for that challenge every time. 

Jones Jr. apprapches those kind of assignments with a level of gratitude because it means that he's healthy and on the floor able to contribute. He also sees both his abilities as a defender and his health so far this season to warrant recognition for an accolade that he's always wanted in his career, but has been just out of reach.

"I haven't yet in my career been blessed to be on an All-Defensive team, one is because I haven't been able to be healthy all year long... That's my goal. I feel like every year I contribute on the floor at a high level on the defensive end," Jones Jr. said (via The Sporting Tribune). 

Jones Jr. will be well on his way to that kind of recognition should he remain as healthy as he plans to be this season, which is great news for him personally and for the Clippers as a whole. 

Los Angeles will continue to rely on Jones Jr. heavily as a defensive leader throughout the season and with those tasks and his health in front of him, Jones Jr. will likely build quite the resume for the award that he's looking for.