Big Man’s Future With Lakers Uncertain Following Rough Night

Damian Jones signed a ten-day deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. His contract will run out before the All-Star break is over. Los Angeles will play on March 13, meaning Jones is out of opportunities to impress head coach Frank Vogel and his teammates. Did he earn his spot in the Lakers? The Lakers had a rough night and this will surely impact his future with the team.

Jones played against the Sacramento Kings and finished the game with 1 rebound and 1 block in 15 minutes. He also collected three fouls.

When asked about Jones, Vogel didn’t say much.

“We’ll see. I’m not certain what we’re going to do, but he’s done well in the opportunities he’s gotten,” he told reporters. “I would say he should be optimistic about what’s ahead of him.”

Jones played better before the Lakers had their rough night

Jones did much better in the two previous games. He was strong in his debut with the Lakers. LA defeated the Golden State Warriors, and Jones scored 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

“Everybody has been talking, telling me different ways I can help impact the team. The situation, of course it’s pressure, but got to live up to the moment and perform your best. Know what you can do and go out and perform,” Jones told reporters. “It felt pretty good. I’m trying to get accustomed to the system, I watched a lot of film of how I’m supposed to play, and it felt really good to really help out.”

The veteran has now played in 21 career games with 40 starts for the Lakers, Warriors, Atlanta and Phoenix. His averages goe at 4.2 points (66.2 % shooting) and 2.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes. In 2020 with Atlanta, Jones was averaging 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds. Phoenix waived this season, and before this move, Jones recorded 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Anthony Davis is still recovering, and  Jones was probably a stopgap for the team. LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Alex Caruso and AD missed the game against Sacramento.