On February 27, Beijing time, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced: the team officially signed Mian Jones with a 10-day short contract. Jones has played in 14 games for the Suns this season, averaging 6.7 minutes per game and having 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds. In the 2020 offseason, the Suns signed Jones to a two-year, $3.7 million unprotected contract, which was cut on Feb. 24 this year.
Damian Jones was born on June 30, 1995, and is not yet 26 years old. He is 2.11 meters tall, with an arm span of 2 meters 23 meters, and can reach 3 meters 6 meters tall. Young, tall, and able to jump, these are the three most prominent labels on Jones. After the thick eyebrow injury, the Lakers' internal strength has suddenly decreased, and it is reasonable to sign Jones.
In the preseason game of the Lakers and Suns this season, Jones completed an air-to-air dunk on a thick brow and played 2+1. At that time, he could not imagine that in three months he would wear a purple and gold battle robe. The Lakers have now suffered four consecutive losses, and since the absence of thick eyebrows, the team's offensive efficiency has fallen to the bottom of the league, and they urgently need to change!
After Cousins was cut by the Rockets, many fans suggested that the Lakers sign their cousins. Nowadays, KaoShen is often targeted on the defensive end, and his ability to protect the basket has plummeted, which is also an important reason why he has not yet signed. Jones, despite his lack of experience, is younger and moves faster. The Lakers cut guard Quinn Cook precisely to supplement the team's interior line.
Warriors fans are no strangers to Damian Jones. In the 2016 NBA Draft, Jones was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 30th pick in the first round, and the draft template was Jordan Jr. Supposedly, with Jones' physical fitness, his order should be higher. Ahead of the draft, Jones underwent pectoral tear repair surgery, which also caused concern among some teams.
Coupled with Jones's poor shooting, and the free throw shooting rate in college was only 50%, it is not surprising that the pick dropped. He weighs 110 kilograms, has average rebounding ability, lacks offensive means, and belongs to the thin and long inner line of the pie-eating type. In the 2016-17 season, rookie Jones did not get much chance at the Warriors, and he spent most of his time in the development league.
In the 2016-17 season and the 2017-18 season, he won two NBA championships with the Warriors, an achievement that many players cannot achieve in their lifetime. But Jones's playing time and stats did not improve, averaging only 6 minutes per game in the second year of his career, with only 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds. When Jordan Bell and Looney rose, Jones made little progress.
In the 2018-19 season, Jones played 24 games for the Warriors, including 22 starting games. He averaged 17.1 minutes per game, contributed 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and shot 71.6 percent from the field. Many thought Jones was going to prove himself, and in December 2018, he underwent chest tear repair surgery again, and didn't come back until the playoffs.
People's fate is sometimes so strange that when you get the opportunity, you don't seize it. In the 2019 Western Conference Finals, Jones got a starting chance, but his performance was mediocre and the team finally lost patience. In the summer of 2019, the Warriors traded Jones and the 2026 second-round pick to the Hawks to get Spelman.
He played his career best at the Hawks, making 55 appearances in the 2019-20 season, including 27 starts. He averaged 16 minutes per game and averaged 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks, shooting 68 percent from the field.
Jones is still dominated by cakes at the Hawks, mostly empty dunks, but he has delivered a lot of wonderful blocks on the defensive end. Of course, blocking doesn't mean defending well, but it at least proves Jones' positivity on the court.
After Jones' rookie contract expired, the Hawks didn't renew his contract, but thankfully the Suns extended an olive branch. We also know the story after that, he was cut after three months in the Suns. Many fans are curious: How much help can Jones bring to the Lakers? Harrell's lack of height and Gasol Jr.'s lack of athletic ability are a good addition to Jones.
Of course, you can't expect Jones to solve all the Lakers' problems, and you have to rely on each player to improve his motivation. Are you bullish on Jones' prospects for the Lakers?