It’s rough whenever injuries and surgeries are what keep a player from reaching his full potential, but it has become a natural part of the game that we love. It is so much a part of basketball that we rarely see players entering the NBA or the NBA draft without some kind of injury issue, and for Vanderbilt Center Damian Jones the same applies.
According to Jonathan Givony of the Vertical, Jones had surgery on his pectoral muscle on Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle:
Center Damian Jones from Vanderbilt underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle, his agent, Austin Brown of CAA, told The Vertical.
Jones, projected to be the 29th selection in The Vertical’s latest mock draft, suffered the chest injury June 11 while bench-pressing 185 pounds during a workout with the Orlando Magic, league sources said. He is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the NBA season.
Jones was projected to be a 29th overall pick and this might just push him out of the 1st round projections. Despite injuries not being a rarity in the NBA, injury issues before entering the NBA is a huge cause for concern. We’ve seen that with Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine and his draft stock value. In his 3 season with Vanderbilt, Jones averaged 13.3 points, 6 rebounds, and about 2 blocks, shooting over 55% from the field, which is impressive for the Vanderbilt Center. His draft stock may have dropped to early 2nd round, but make no mistake, Jones would be an asset to any team, if injuries don’t hinder his progress.
Want to know how big of an asset? Check out this video of his Vanderbilt highlights (Da Hoop Spot Productions):
