Atlanta Hawks: 3 Bold Predictions for Damian Jones in 2019-20

Our bold predictions series continues with a look at how Damian Jones might perform in the 2019-20 season – his first with the Atlanta Hawks.

When the Atlanta Hawks traded away Omari Spellman for Damian Jones and a future second-round pick (which might end up actually being good), there was quite a bit of puzzlement around the league.

Because Spellman was drafted in the first round in 2018, one rarely sees a team give up on a player so quickly. Spellman was clearly talented, but he had trouble with his weight during his rookie year and his health suffered because of it.

Let’s take a look at 3 bold predictions for Jones in his first year with the Hawks.

Jones Will Shoot 70 Percent from the Field

Last season, Jones produced a bevy of career-highs with the Golden State Warriors per Basketball Reference, perhaps the most impressive of which was his 71.6 percent field goal percentage, which would’ve been #1 in the league had Jones played more than 410 minutes. Next season, it seems reasonable to think that Jones will serve as a preeminent “garbage man” on the second unit, cleaning up misses and rising up for lobs and putbacks.

Jones Will Find His Three-Point Shot

Though Jones has not attempted a single three-pointer in his three-year NBA career, the Atlanta Hawks have shown a talent for turning non-shooting bigs (such as Dewayne Dedmon and Alex Len) into serious threats from distance. Jones will be the next big man in “Hawks University” to produce similar improvements.

Jones Will Appear in 65 Games for the Hawks

Getting on the court has been tough for Jones as the Warriors have been absolute juggernauts during his career. Now, with a rebuilding team like Atlanta, expect Jones to play serious minutes. The only reason why this number isn’t even higher is due to the presence of recent draftee Bruno Fernando, who, while raw, has the talent to take minutes from Jones if he slacks off.

There you have it! Stay tuned for plenty more bold predictions as we creep ever closer to the regular season.