The Los Angeles Lakers knew they needed to get younger and more athletic after the 2021-22 season, so in that respect, their offseason should be considered a success.
The Lakers restocked the roster with plenty of fresh legs, including Damian Jones, who previously spent time with the franchise. Jones had a solid year with the Sacramento Kings but comes back to Los Angeles a better player who will be in the mix for the starting center spot.
Although Jones was with the Lakers, he did not get a chance to play next to Anthony Davis, who was injured during his stint. However, the young big man understands that his role next to Davis will most likely resemble that of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. “Probably similar to like, was it I guess, three years ago now, like, when JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] we’re here in last year, but you know, probably something similar to that role,” Jones said.
Jones –like McGee and Howard– is an athletic big who is at his best rolling to the rim for lobs and on the other end blocking shots in the paint. However, the biggest difference between him and his predecessors is his burgeoning 3-point shot. Jones is unsure if he’ll get to use it this upcoming season but sounded confident in his ability to knock down those shots if called upon.
“I got a lot of reps with that. I’m feeling pretty comfortable about it, you know, whether I’m actually going to do it or not is up in here, but it’s there if needed.”
Head coach Darvin Ham has already been in Jones’ ear about how important he’ll be for the Lakers, but how he’ll be used remains to be seen. However, with Thomas Bryant on the roster, it’s probably a fair assumption that Jones’ role will be exactly how he envisioned it would be.
Of course, the Lakers will most likely feature Davis at the five which means there will be limited time for Jones and Bryant to play alongside him. Regardless, Jones is an excellent depth piece and should be able to contribute no matter how he ends up being utilized.
Damian Jones excited about opportunity to play next to Lakers Big 3
Jones had his fair share of teams to choose from in free agency, but he acknowledged that the chance to play next to LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Davis was too good to pass up. Playing next to stars of their caliber can only help his career, and it’ll be exciting to see how he looks next to them.
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