Damian Jones ready to fight for his place with the Lakers

If there’s one thing the Lakers were missing in their center rotation, it’s a player with both sizes. and speed. Marc Gasol has only the first, while Montrezl Harrell boasts of the second. But while they only signed Damian Jones on Friday morning, and he’s not even made the squad yet, he has already put both qualities to the fore.

The showcase of his size came when Jones sat down to speak with the media on Zoom ahead of the Lakers’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The camera rig the team had originally installed had cut almost the entire forehead where Jones’ 6’11 frame ends, and even after a quick adjustment it still did not fully match.

The demonstration of his speed came earlier, although we didn’t know it yet. After being cut off by the Suns on Tuesday, Jones was still in Phoenix around 4:00 p.m. Thursday when he got a call from his agent that the Lakers wanted to offer him a 10-day contract. He was due to travel to Los Angeles at 11:00 p.m. that night to take a coronavirus test and sign his agreement so he could be active on Friday, and he still needed to rent a car before he could leave. But Jones rushed in and made it with 20 minutes to spare.

Due to his speed to get to Los Angeles and his size the Lakers somewhat lacking as Anthony Davis is sidelined, Jones could stand a chance, although head coach Frank Vogel has acknowledged before the game Jones was “unlikely” to play against the Blazers. . But every time Jones steps into the game, he, Vogel and general manager Rob Pelinka see his skills as an archetype that Lakers fans have complained the team have been missing for weeks.

“It’s kind of like the role of JaVale and Dwight last year, how they would grab the rims and protect the rim, stuff like that. I try to bring in some of the same things, ”Jones said. “Vertical spacing on the offensive side, being able to defend the rim.”

That’s a pretty noble comparison for a guy the Lakers are essentially bringing in for a glorified essay, but while he didn’t use the names Howard and McGee, it’s almost identical to the terms in which Vogel described the Jones game.

“He brings vertical spacing on both sides of the ball. The threat of the lob, but also the verticality and the blocking of shots at the edge too. He definitely has a skill set that can help us, ”Vogel said. “He’s a talented young man and a very polite young man. So we’re excited to take a look at him over the next 10 days. “

Some of the Lakers already know his game. In Los Angeles, Jones reunites with former Warriors teammate Alfonzo McKinnie – who has also been a bit playful this season – which is a relationship Jones thinks she can help him get. level even faster.

“It’s cool to have old teammates that I know on the team to kind of show me my role,” Jones said. “Just familiar faces to help me get used to it.”

Stepping into a championship contender while fighting for his NBA future on his fourth team in five years, Jones will need all the help he can get. But he’s already shown he’s ready to shake things up to fight for this stunt. Even if that means ditching everything, looking for a rental car and driving a five-and-a-half-hour drive in just under seven hours to get a coronavirus test with no guarantees other than a 10-day paycheck.

“It was pretty crazy,” Jones said of the last 24 hours that took him to Staples Center on Friday.

It would be even crazier if he was able to make an impact in the limited time and opportunities he intends to get. But hey, he has completed all the tasks the Lakers have asked him to do so far. Now he just needs to do it again.

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