There was a ton of uncertainty about who the Golden State Warriors would select with the 30th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but we now have the answer: they have officially selected Vanderbilt's Damian Jones, filling a need that basically everyone knew they had.
ESPN's Chad Ford, SI's Derek Bodner and DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony all had the Warriors selecting Jones in their mock drafts leading up to the draft ESPN's Jay Bilas offered an in-depth description of Jones — among the players he identified as good prospects at #30 — in a media conference call on Tuesday.
He can really run, and he's got a lot of ability. A little bit inconsistent with how hard he plays and how productive he is, and he got it handed to him a few times...I just think how productive is he going to be and how aggressive going after it is he, because he can really be an excellent low-post defender and rim protector, and he is very good in pick-and-roll situations, and he's got a very good shooting touch, out to about 18 feet, and does a pretty good job around the rim. He just needs to do it at a higher level and sustain it for longer periods, but he's got a lot of ability.
Bilas continued to harp on the matter of whether he is "mean" enough on ESPN's draft show. And Givony highlighted similar concerns regarding athleticism vs. instincts.
Jones has the quickness to step away from the rim and defend the perimeter fairly impressively in spurts and the strength to hold his own in the post, but he frequently gets caught in no man's land, is a step slow with his awareness, and doesn't show great anticipation. Jones clearly has the physical tools to be a factor on this end, and the flashes of potential he shows leave some room for optimism, but his instincts are still catching up.
However, on the Vertical's NBA draft show, Jones was described as similar to DeAndre Jordan, which is certainly an interesting move given that Andrew Bogut is the guy they're running with now.
So based on what you know so far what do you think of the pick? Vote in the poll below and let us know in the comments.