Warriors’ Damian Jones may be out for the season.
Surgery expected after young center tears chest muscle
DETROIT — Warriors center Damian Jones could miss the rest of the season after tearing his left pectoral muscle in Saturday night’s loss to the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
Jones, 23, will meet with a specialist in Chicago this week and is expected to require surgery. Though no timetable for Jones’ return has been announced, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said after practice Sunday that he’ll be “out for a long time.”
In June 2016, after undergoing surgery for a torn right pectoral muscle he suffered during a pre-draft workout, the 7-foot Jones missed five months. If this surgery requires a similar recovery period, he’ll be out until at least May.
“I’ll be OK,” Jones said. “It sucks, but I’ll be fine.”
It seems unlikely that, after missing so much time, the Warriors would clear Jones to return during the playoffs without at least making sure he gets his conditioning back. In the meantime, Golden State must try to round out its frontcourt rotation.
In 24 games this season, Jones has started 22 times, averaging 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1 block in 17.1 minutes. Though he still struggled with
Warriors center Damian Jones will be “out for a long time,” according to head coach Steve Kerr.
such basics as boxing out and staying out of foul trouble, Jones — a 245pounder with a 7-foot, 3¾-inch wingspan and a 36-inch vertical leap — had shown enough promise for the Warriors to pick up his $2.3 million option for the 2019-20 season.
Even if Jones doesn’t return this season, he could be an important cog next season. He is Golden State’s only center under contract for 2019-20.
The Warriors have only two healthy centers — Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell — on the roster, both of whom are undersized at 6-foot-9. Looney figures to take over Jones’ starting spot, with Bell his primary backup. Forward Jonas Jerebko, at 6-10, can fill in as a small-ball center.
Kerr said that Golden State will recall two-waycontract player Marcus Derrickson, a stretch power forward, from the G League. The Warriors, who already had a 15th and final roster spot available, might sign a big man.
“We’ll check on our options, see what we want to do,” Kerr said.
The good news for Golden State is that fourtime NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is nearing his return from a torn left Achilles tendon.
Cousins, who will begin fully participating in practice this week, was seen going through a 5-on-5 scrimmage after practice Sunday at Detroit Mercy. The team has yet to announce a timetable for Cousins’ return to game action, but it could be shortly after Christmas.
Draymond Green, who fills in from time to time as a small-ball center, has missed the past eight games because of a sprained right toe. Kerr said that Green is unlikely to return during this trip, which has three more games. However, forward Alfonzo McKinnie (sore left foot) hopes to come back Wednesday in Cleveland.
“These next couple weeks, we’ll get some guys back,” Looney said. “When DeMarcus comes back, things are going to change. When Draymond comes back, things are going to change. That obviously makes our frontcourt even deeper. Me, JB and Jonas will continue to hold down the fort. We still expect to win and do our job at a high level.”