Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle

Damian Jones had an up-and-down rookie year, spending nine stints with the Santa Cruz team.

Damian Jones had an up-and-down rookie year, spending nine stints with the Santa Cruz team.

Damian Jones (left) defends against the 76ers Markelle Fultz on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Damian Jones (left) defends against the 76ers Markelle Fultz on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones and James Michael McAdoo during practice at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones and James Michael McAdoo during practice at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones, JaVale McGee and Matt Barnes during NBA Finals Media Day at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 31, 2017.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones, JaVale McGee and Matt Barnes during NBA Finals Media Day at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 31, 2017.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones and Zaza Pachulia against Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on Monday, April 24, 2017.

Golden State Warriors' Damian Jones and Zaza Pachulia against Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on Monday, April 24, 2017.

Warriors Damian Jones showcasing progress in Summer League

LAS VEGAS The turning point came Jan. 6 in Santa Cruz. As he posted 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in a 126-124 loss to the Grand Rapids Drive, center Damian Jones on assignment with Golden States Development League affiliate stayed out of foul trouble and didnt commit a turnover in 30 minutes.

Casey Hill, then the Santa Cruz Warriors head coach, smiled each of the three or four times a winded Jones asked to come off the court. Because after weeks harping on the 7-foot, 245-pound rookie to give consistent effort, Hill finally was seeing Jones motor match his physical tools.

That was a great sign, Hill said at the time. If he can go hard like that every night, hell be in the NBA for a long time.

With ideal size, strength and speed for an NBA center, Jones has long wowed scouts with his upside. Now, after a rookie year spent largely in the D-League (now the Gatorade League), he has a shot at cracking Golden States frontcourt rotation.

In the Warriors 95-93 loss Saturday night to Philadelphia in the Las Vegas Summer League, Jones looked like an NBA contributor. He scored 13 points and swatted three shots in 24 minutes. Midway through the third quarter, Jones volleyball-spiked an Aaron Harrison layup attempt into the first row.

The two 18-foot jumpers Jones made reinforced an important development: Anchored to the post in his limited NBA minutes last season, he is at ease enough to attempt the shots in games on which he works in practice. The Warriors hope is that his offensive game will only expand over the next week-plus in Las Vegas.

With free-agent center JaVale McGees status still in flux, Golden State could need Jones to play meaningful minutes next season. The Warriors, who will fill their 15th and final roster spot probably with a big man, want to continue rotating through three centers. After playing only 85 NBA minutes as a rookie, Jones could be the third option behind Zaza Pachulia and David West.

I think that if guys like David West and Zaza start talking to him over the summer and tell him to start preparing, he might slide into a role, guard Patrick McCaw said. I think hell be more than ready for it.

Jones tore his right pectoral muscle while lifting weights 12 days before going 30th overall to Golden State in the 2016 NBA draft. After finally getting cleared for contact work in late November, he logged nine stints in Santa Cruz.

It was a humbling experience for a player who got by on athleticism in his three seasons at Vanderbilt. Many nights, after watching a Warriors home game from the bench, he made the winding ride down Highway 17 to Santa Cruz. In his first few D-League assignments, Jones whose four-year rookie contract is worth up to $5.9 million labored against players earning $19,500 or $26,000, the D-Leagues two annual salary levels.

Hill outlined modest goals for Jones: crash the glass, improve his defensive footwork and, above all else, go hard every play. By that measure, his repeated requests for a breather Jan. 6 against Grand Rapids were a breakthrough. Jones was named the D-League Player of the Month in March and April after averaging 17.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in 12 games.

A week removed from Golden States second NBA title in three years last month, Jones was back at the teams practice facility in downtown Oakland. Now, he is more than a 7-foot project: Jones is a work in progress.

I feel a lot better, Jones said. Everything comes more natural now.

Added Chris DeMarco, the Warriors Summer League head coach: He plays hard. Im really happy about the way hes playing.

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron

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Warriors' Damian Jones showcasing progress in Summer League - SFGate