It was apparent only on in the 2021-22 season that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to have a hard time competing on the floor because of their lack of athleticism across all five positions.
However, the front office recognized that flaw and made deliberate moves to shore up that aspect of the roster. One of their underrated signings of the offseason was Damian Jones, who previously had a stint with the Lakers back in the 2020-21 campaign.
Known for his high leaping ability, Jones was the perfect lob target who also had a knack for blocking shots near the rim. Now back with the Purple and Gold, Jones will likely resume a similar role to that of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard and will compete for a spot in the starting lineup.
As part of his re-introduction to Los Angeles, Jones took part in a video Q&A session via the Lakers’ Twitter account:
Dame, DJ, DJones
He's back & we got straight to it with the rapid fire q's. pic.twitter.com/lwlHuPxB3o
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 14, 2022
The first question had to do with Jones’ decision to come back to the Lakers despite having multiple offers in free agency, citing them as a good opportunity to grow as a player. He then talks about his first stint with the team and how his favorite part was being able to come in and work on his game.
Jones has been able to stick around in the NBA, but he revealed if basketball wasn’t an option for him he would’ve pursued baseball where he played as an outfielder. He named fellow Vanderbilt athlete Walker Buehler of the Los Angeles Dodgers as his favorite non-basketball athlete.
He also goes through several questions concerning his pre-game ritual and favorite dunk in his career so far.
Lastly, Jones touches on a variety of topics including what it was like being an engineering major, why he chose No. 30 as his jersey number and his mentors while he was coming up in the league.
Darvin Ham instilling confidence in Damian Jones
Jones will be playing for another defensive-minded head coach in Darvin Ham who has already begun the process of establishing relationships with the players on the team. In just his short time, Ham has made strides in connecting with his players and he has already been in Jones’ ear trying to instill confidence in the big man.
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