The 2018 NBA Manifesto
Jalen Jones
SF/PF - 6’7, 220lbs - 25 years old - 1 year of experience
In his second pro season, Jones cracked the NBA with two different teams. He barely featured for the Pelicans, instead playing 12 games on flex assignment with the Greensboro Swarm (20.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 3.2 fpg), and played 21 further G-League games with the Texas Legends after joining the Mavericks (19.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.8 fpg).
For all four teams, Jones had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio (which is par for the course for him), and aside from the anomaly-inducing small sample sizes in the NBA, he also shot the ball poorly from three-point range (so is that). When asked to create, as he has been both in college and the G-League, he shows his limitations with the ball in his hands. And worryingly, when not asked to create, he largely just stands there.
Nevertheless, despite being something of a tweener, Jones does have his uses. He is busy defensively when guarding the post, and sometimes on the perimeter; he has more training and pedigree at the former and loses shooters on the perimeter but the latter holds the key to his top level future, so he has been working on that. He applies some good pressure, crashes the glass and has long terms, making him a defensive presence if not a stalwart. Jones also runs the court and finishes well on the interior, too, giving him an offensive presence if he can keep his discipline and stay to that which suits him best.
Getting up there in age for a prospect, Jones has never quite converted his potential into full reality yet. Yet he is deservedly on the cusp of the NBA. Some slightly better shooting, and he might be in it.
Player Plan: Has a second year on his two-way contract that he is a pretty good candidate for, at least to begin with. But it has to come to something eventually.
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SF/PF - 6’7, 220lbs - 25 years old - 1 year of experience
In his second pro season, Jones cracked the NBA with two different teams. He barely featured for the Pelicans, instead playing 12 games on flex assignment with the Greensboro Swarm (20.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 3.2 fpg), and played 21 further G-League games with the Texas Legends after joining the Mavericks (19.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.8 fpg).
For all four teams, Jones had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio (which is par for the course for him), and aside from the anomaly-inducing small sample sizes in the NBA, he also shot the ball poorly from three-point range (so is that). When asked to create, as he has been both in college and the G-League, he shows his limitations with the ball in his hands. And worryingly, when not asked to create, he largely just stands there.
Nevertheless, despite being something of a tweener, Jones does have his uses. He is busy defensively when guarding the post, and sometimes on the perimeter; he has more training and pedigree at the former and loses shooters on the perimeter but the latter holds the key to his top level future, so he has been working on that. He applies some good pressure, crashes the glass and has long terms, making him a defensive presence if not a stalwart. Jones also runs the court and finishes well on the interior, too, giving him an offensive presence if he can keep his discipline and stay to that which suits him best.
Getting up there in age for a prospect, Jones has never quite converted his potential into full reality yet. Yet he is deservedly on the cusp of the NBA. Some slightly better shooting, and he might be in it.
Player Plan: Has a second year on his two-way contract that he is a pretty good candidate for, at least to begin with. But it has to come to something eventually.
