Golden State Warriors: Damian Jones has been Dubs unsung hero
The Golden State Warriors have kicked off the season to a nice 3-1, and it’s partially behind terrific play from starting center Damian Jones.
Yes, the Golden State Warriors are still led by their two superstars. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have been phenomenal to start the season. However, due to a lack of performance from Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the Dubs have needed Damian Jones to step up.
And stepping up is certainly what Jones has done.
Jones won’t get too much glory for his stellar performance, but it certainly shouldn’t go unnoticed.
As we entered media day, it was up in the air who would be the Dubs starting center. It was between Jones, Bell and Looney. A few games in, it seems Steve Kerr made the right decision by awarding Damian Jones the spot.
After seeing time in just 25 games throughout the last two seasons, Jones has played and started in each of the Dubs first four games.
He’s arguably been the Warriors most efficient player, shooting over 50% in each game so far in the short season. As a matter of fact, he’s the league’s most efficient player percentage-wise. Shooting 85% from the field, Jones, of players shooting over four shots per game, is leading the NBA.
His defensive presence is also a big plus. He’s averaged nearly two blocks per game; however, as a team, the Warriors defense has ultimately been far less than desirable, giving up over 105 points per game. His efficiency and defense have both been huge for Golden State to start the season.
Additionally, Jones’ offensive rebounding has been impactful. He’s almost at two offensive rebounds per game, the Warriors second highest per game average.
The most important aspect of Jones’ play is his fit. His buckets have come from working hard and getting position down low or by being an athletic and big target to lob passesg to. In order to be efficient, he doesn’t need even 10 shots per game, a huge perk for a Curry and Durant-centric offense.
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Overall, he’s been the perfect player for the Golden State Warriors. His energy on the boards and on defense make him the quintessential fit for the Dubs until the return of DeMarcus Cousins.