Today the Lakers shot again, signing 2 "Jones" from the development league: Gemellio Jones and Mason Jones. Although the industry is puzzled that the Lakers have signed 3 backcourt players (including the previous Thomas Jr.) with obvious gaps in the interior line, what these two Jones can bring to the Lakers is still worth looking forward to. So, where did these two Jones come from?
Gemellio Jones is a veteran of the Lakers, and before joining the Lakers, he played for the Wisconsin Deer, a development league team under the Bucks.
Born on April 9, 1995 in Nashville, Tennessee, Gemellio is a 1.96-meter tall, 79-kilogram striker. In his third year at Melrose High School in Memphis, Gemellio suffered a knee ligament tear that caused many colleges and universities that were interested in him to back off. In the end, Gemellio chose Hill College in Hillsborough, Texas.
It is said that gold shines everywhere. During his two seasons, Gemellio averaged 11.7 points per game and grabbed 72 rebounds in five games, breaking the NJCAA (a junior league exclusive to the NCAA' third division).
Subsequently, Gemério transferred to the University of New Mexico. In his senior year, Gemellio became the first player since 1997 to rebound 20+ in three consecutive games. That season, he averaged 11 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, and was named MVP of the WAC League with an average of 12.3 points and 18.3 rebounds per game. He also broke the WAC division player record for total rebounds in a single season with 450 rebounds. In the end, he was voted the best player in the WAC division and was selected as the best player in the division.
But Gemerio failed to knock on the NBA's doors. After losing the 2018 election, he participated in the development league draft and was selected by the Santa Cruz Warriors with the 18th pick, and then changed to the South Bay Lakers. At the end of March 2019, the Lakers announced a signing for Gemellio. That season, he played in six games for the Lakers, averaging 4.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 36.4% overall and 20% from three-point range.
In the 2019 offseason, in a 3-team trade involving Anthony Davis, Gemellio was sent to the Wizards and cut during the preseason before returning to the development league. In 2020, Gemério was named to the Development League's Best Third Team. This season at the Deer Pack, he played in 11 games, started four games, averaged 25.6 minutes per game, had 6.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals, shooting 53.2%.
Mason was born in Dallas on July 21, 1998. Interestingly, unlike his brother Matt, who played for Duke university and won the NCAA championship in 2015, Mason did not start playing until his senior season at AAA College high school in Dallas. That season, Mason averaged 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Mason then spent a year at Link Year Preparatory High School in Branson, Missouri, where he managed to lose weight from 120 kilograms to 104 kilograms.
Mason spent his freshman season in Connaught in Oklahoma, averaging 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Subsequently, after rejecting invitations from Brigham Young university and the University of Washington, Mason transferred to the University of Arkansas.
In the first season after the transfer, Mason averaged 13.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, ranking 3rd and 2nd on the team, respectively. In his junior year, Mason became the rebounding king of the varsity team, and his average score per game was also ranked Second. On December 14, 2019, against the University of Tulsa, Mason scored a career-high 41 points in a single game for the NCAA. On February 4 of the following year, Mason scored 40 points in the match against Auburn University, becoming the third SEC player to score 40+ in a single season after O'Neal and Yody Meeks.
In the 2019-20 season, Mason averaged 22 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 45.3% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range, and was named the SEC Player of the Year, was named the best player in the division, and was nominated for the All-American Team.
The confident Mason entered the 2020 draft but regrettably lost. He then signed with the Rockets and then the 76ers. In the 2020-21 season, Mason played in 32 games, averaging 5.3 points per game, shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range. On November 6 this year, Mason signed a contract with the South Bay Lakers of the Development Alliance. Before signing with the Lakers, Mason played in 12 games in the development league, averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 49.6% and 41.2% from both fields.
In the NBA, Jones is a big surname. In the 2020-21 season, the Lakers also signed a "Jones": Damian Jones. He is a 2.11m tall center from Vanderbilt University and was selected by the Warriors with the 30th pick in 2016, winning the championship twice with the team. Jones played eight games for the Lakers last season and played for the Kings this season.
According to statistics, including the above 3 people, there have been a total of 7 "Jones" in the history of the Lakers, the other 4 are Dwight Jones (1983, 32 games), Earl Jones (1984, 2 games), Eddie Jones (1999-2000, 314 games) and Jumein Jones (2004-2005, 76 games).
The more well-known of these is undoubtedly Eddie Jones. Eddie from Temple University was selected by the Lakers with the 10th pick in 1994. During his time with the Lakers, he was named an All-Star twice and also appeared in the All-Team and Defensive Teams. There are rumors that Eddie and Kobe Bryant are also mentors and friends. In Kobe's rookie season, Eddie is already an All-Star, and Kobe Bryant is quickly improving his skills in the continuous pursuit of Eddie. And when the Lakers decided to have Kobe Bryant replace Eddie first, the latter said goodbye to the Purple and Gold.
Another connection Eddie has with the NBA today is that he is a cousin of Kings rookie 2020 Teres Halliburton.
The Lakers signed 2 Jones for emergency, can they leave their mark on the Purple and Gold Army? (Supine Braces/Hairy)