Golden State Warriors: Reviewing the bigs in 2018/19 and their free agency projections

Damian Jones

The Warriors drafted Damian Jones with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2016 draft, hoping he could develop into the cornerstone big man they’ve been searching for.

After seeing mainly garbage time in his first two seasons, 2018 was supposed to be his year to show us if he is truly fit for the NBA.

Unfortunately, Jones went down after only 24 games. During that stretch, he started and averaged 17 minutes per game. He, at times, looked to be a formidable big man in the NBA, showing occasional great potential with his athletic ability. Other times his inexperience showed.

By no means was he a complete liability. He managed 1 block per game and his lob threat on the offensive end added another layer of complication for defenses in the pick and roll.

The Warriors outscored opponents by 0.7 points per 100 possessions while he was on the floor, which pretty much sums up his play. His minutes at the center sufficed on a team where he was surrounded by stars.

However, his 3 rebounds per game were pretty uninspiring for a center.

Whether or not Jones starts off 2019 as the starting center as he did in 2018, depends on what happens with Cousins. If Cousins returns, he may not get a full opportunity to develop his game and display his skill set. If Cousins finds more money elsewhere, Jones will have plenty of opportunity to prove that he belongs in this league.

A reminder of the explosive play that Jones can bring:

Prediction:

Cousins walks and Jones becomes the starting center, again. Jones will cement his spot in the rotation and do well enough to be playable, but he won’t exceed any expectations.

Will he be able to hang with the best bigs in the league? Probably not.