A late bloomer, Vanderbilt 7-foot junior center Damian Jones shined in front of NBA scouts this summer at the Nike Academy and won the individual match up with Utah sophomore 7-footer Jacob Poeltl. He flashed high level explosiveness and athleticism, blocking shots and finishing at the rim. He also measured extremely well at 7-foot-0 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. Most encouraging was that he displayed a developing face up game with the ability to knock down mid-range and even outside shots, consistently. Jones is one of the top returning prospects in the country and enters the season as a potential top 5 pick.
NBADraft.net: Talk a little bit about the Nike Skills Academy.
Damian Jones: I liked it. I enjoyed it a lot. Got to meet all the guys. And got to learn from the best.
NBADraft.net: This camp was a little different from previous camps. You got out on the beach and did some training. Describe how that went.
Damian Jones: It was good. Doing the soul cycle and spin cycle and also the beach workout. And doing yoga was something different. We also had an MMA fighter come out for some training.
NBADraft.net: What do you feel you took away from this event, what did you learn that can you apply to the upcoming season?
Damian Jones: We had some film sessions that were valuable. Going over fundamentals, running the floor, post skills, rebounding. I’m trying to soak everything in. The level of knowledge and talent in the gym of the coaches was off the charts and the instruction was great.
NBADraft.net: Talking to NBA scouts about you while this event has gone on, the feedback has been very positive, so you’re doing a great job. Was there ever any consideration to enter the 2015 draft?
Damian Jones: I thought about it. But then I came to the conclusion that if I returned for another year, I could really improve my stock.
NBADraft.net: You got some good advice. And another year should really be beneficial for your skills when you hit the league.
Damian Jones: Yeah, and also be a step closer to my degree.
NBADraft.net: What’s your goal? Do you want to be a lottery pick, a top 5 pick?
Damian Jones: Yeah just get as high as possible and improve my consistency and skill level as much as I can.
NBADraft.net: Do you have any NBA player(s) that you try to pattern your game after?
Damian Jones: Yeah I like watching LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis and implement some of their attributes to my game.
NBADraft.net: What do you consider your greatest strength, and what do you most need to work on?
Damian Jones: My athleticism is my greatest strength and I can always work on my post game. Becoming more consistent with it and continue getting better.
NBADraft.net: So watching you over the course of this event. It seems that you’re developing a pretty good shot from outside. It also appears that you have gotten a lot stronger and you have the type of body to continue adding weight. Are you doing anything to try to get bigger than you are now?
Damian Jones: To be honest, I came in at 240 lbs, and just over the past month I all of a sudden added 10 lbs and I’m at 250 now. I’m working out a lot with weights and conditioning.
NBADraft.net: Do you do anything for your diet?
Damian Jones: I took soda out of my diet. I eat candy every now and then, but paying alot more attention to what I eat.
NBADraft.net: Going to Vanderbilt, how difficult is the course work?
Damian Jones: It was hard when I first got there but I adjusted to it, and it’s been great.
NBADraft.net: Last thing, when you’re not focused on basketball, what kind of stuff do you enjoy doing off the floor?
Damian Jones: Hanging with friends, playing video games and watching TV and movies.
