Golden State Warriors: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

2. Damian Jones

Frankly, Damian Jones has not shown enough to warrant his placement on this list. He’s been extremely disappointing through his first two NBA seasons, and is no greater than the fourth-best center on Golden State’s roster.

So why does Jones come in at No. 2? Because he’s 7’0″ with a 7’4″ wingspan. Because DeMarcus Cousins is still rehabbing, and there’s a good chance Jones starts. Because the Warriors need to see what they have in Jones, and because Steve Kerr likes to give everyone a chance early in the season. Because Kerr did this last year with Looney, another No. 30 pick who showed nothing through two years but had a huge wingspan and made the most of his early-season opportunity.

Jones is still unlikely to break out. His basketball IQ is underwhelming, he doesn’t bring the energy that should define a player of his skill-set and he lacks the vertical explosiveness or jumper to make the most of playing alongside four All-Stars. Opportunity and desperation breed success, however. Jones will have a lot of the former, and given the direction his career is heading, should have plenty of the latter.