Much of what the Cavaliers brass addressed in the offseason was based on the Wine & Gold’s abrupt Playoff exodus last spring. And beefing up the backup big man spot was certainly a priority.
In that fateful First Round series against New York, Cleveland’s young bigs got muscled by a more experienced Knicks frontline. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley held their own, but the Cavs didn’t get much help beyond that, allowing Isaiah Hartenstein to look like the second coming of Bill Cartwright for five games.
So, over the summer the Cavaliers made a pair of moves to shore up the middle.
The headline-grabbing transaction was inking fan favorite Tristan Thompson in mid-September. The beloved blue-collar big man spent his first nine seasons in Cleveland, helping secure the 2016 NBA Championship and returning as one of just four players in franchise history to score at least 5,000 points and grab 5,000 rebounds.
A move that was more under-the-radar was the trade for veteran center Damian Jones.
Tristan helped the Cavaliers win the title, but the Finals rematch one year later (and again the year after that) it was Jones’s team that got the last laugh, with the Warriors – who drafted Jones with the 30th overall pick out of Vanderbilt – taking the 2017 Championship over Cleveland in five games and sweeping the Cavs the following year.
“The city rallied behind the team back then,” Jones recalled from those heavyweight title matchups. “(Cleveland)’s a really great sports town. You can see by the way everybody rallies behind the Browns. It was crazy. The atmosphere was crazy every time we came out here.”
Now Jones is on the other side – of the rivalry and the country – and he’s been getting comfortable via some friends from the Bay Area. “Two of my boys are from here and they’ve shown me around. Unless you know Cleveland, you don’t know what the place is really about. But they’ve shown me around, and it’s pretty cool.”
And Jones even made peace with Tristan in between those Finals battles and their reunion this summer in Cleveland. “Me and Tristan were teammates two years ago in Sacramento. So, it’s been cool (being back together). I love hanging out with Tristan, and it’s good to see him back here in Cleveland.”
By NBA standards, the 6-11 Jones got a big boost to start his career – winning titles in his first two years in the league and learning the ropes under a group of future Hall of Famers.
“(Playing in Golden State) gives you the model of what it takes to get to that point,” said Jones. “Just seeing the work that they put in – the dedication, the grind. You know what it takes to get to that point, and to succeed at that point. And then it’s just a matter of coming in every day and doing it.”
Jones hasn’t posted big numbers over the course of his career. In 240 career contests, he’s started 75 – playing with six different teams before being acquired from Utah over the summer in exchange for cash. Over the course of his career, he’s averaged 5.2 points on 66 percent shooting.
While Jarrett Allen has dealt with an ankle injury throughout the preseason, Jones has shown his value as a backup. Through the first three games, he’s gone 6-of-7 from the floor, blocking a pair of shots against Atlanta and leading both teams with three swats on Monday night against Maccabi Ra’anana.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised Jones, who’s stepped into the starting role the last two games.
“(His presence) gives you that added size, it gives you that vertical spacing,” said Bickerstaff. “He’s got nice touch and he’s a good passer. You don’t fall off completely, because he does have a similar skillset to Jarrett. He protects the rim, he protects the paint, and his teammates are gaining that trust with him.”
Jones maintains that his role is simple with the Cavaliers. “Watching Jarrett and watching Evan, I’ve been able to fit into the system, with an emphasis on being in our spots, finishing possessions, boxing out, protecting the rim, stuff like that. All basic things.”
Like new additions Max Strus and Georges Niang, Jones has been through the Playoff wars and knows what it takes to reach the top of the food chain.
“Tristan knows it well, too, but it takes everybody being locked in – and staying locked in for an entire season,” said the Baton Rouge native. “It’s a long season and you have to stick with your principles and maintain that constant pressure all the time. But I see everybody always in the gym here, trying to get better each and every day. And that’s good to see.”