NBA Comparison: Trey Burke/Luke Ridnour
Strengths: Point guard in the truest sense of the word with excellent court sense and feel for the game … Rarely makes a bad decision … Maturity beyond his years, very comfortable in a leadership role, also very adaptable to those he is playing with … Very good at changing speeds, plays under control and makes very few mistakes … Looks to pass first before creating his own offense, while still maintaining a jump shot that requires attention … Great body control, does not shy from contact and uses change of pace to create shots … Is a major threat in the pick-and-roll, can hurt you with the pass and will make you pay if you go under the screen … If the “clutch gene” does exist, he definitely seems to have it … Not afraid to take on a larger scoring role when needed, seemed to play his best basketball in the biggest games … For a player not known for his athleticism, got to the line quite often and shot a fantastic 88.2% FT … Seemed to get more comfortable as the season progressed, three point percentage went from 33.9% in non-conference games to 40.7% against the ACC … Close to a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, was 2nd in assists per game in the ACC … Though he is slightly over 6-feet tall, has a wingspan a few inches longer than his height … Has a great understanding of how to feed the post, something not many freshmen PG’s excel at doing … Played 33.7 mpg, was able to take the reins immediately and is an off-shoot of his coach on the floor … Creative, crafty and one of those rare players who you are confident with running offense in half-court situations … Very confident player, never really seemed out of his element when faced with a challenge … Not bad at shooting on the run, plus showed promise in catch-and-shoot scenarios … Floater could be a possible weapon going forward, very nice touch close to the basket, playing in with his strong body control …
Weaknesses: Lacks ideal quickness and athleticism most top flight PG prospects possess … Doesn’t possess a great first step. Struggles to beat quick opponents off the dribble … Seems to "play small" … While his jump shot is not necessarily a major area of concern, can still improve his efficiency and range and will have a more difficult time creating shots at the next level … Lack of explosive ability hurts him in transition, could have a lot of difficulty finishing at the basket … Will need to work on his off-hand, definitely a player who seems to have more difficulty driving to the left and pulling up for shots on the right … Can lose focus when guarding the perimeter, plus does have a habit of relying on help defense and leaving his team at a disadvantage … While he did average 1.5 spg on the year, he is not a major threat in the passing lanes and is not a tremendous defender off of the ball … Definitely a small PG by NBA standards, will need to add strength if he wants to get consistent minutes in the league … Can be a streaky shooter, did only shoot 41.3% FG on the year and at times will be a bit too conservative as far as forcing the action … Has played with tremendous talent at the college level and while he is a great teammate, it will be interesting to see how he fares if he has to play with players that are less physically/athletically dominant in comparison to their peers …
Notes: Measured 6’1.25 (in shoes), 184 lbs with a 6’3 wingspan and a 7’10.5 standing reach at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit … Measured 6’0.75, 191.2 lbs, with a 6’5.25 wingspan and 8’0.75 reach at the 2014 USA U18 tryouts … Began HS playing career as an 8th Grader at Apple Valley in Minnesota … Three time Gatorade/AP Minnesota High School Player of the Year … Three time gold medal winner for Team USA during the 2011 U16 FIBA Americas, the 2012 U17 World Championships and the 2014 U18 FIBA Americas … Averaged 11.6 ppg, 5.7 apg (to only 2 topg), 3.5 rpg and 1.5 spg during his freshman season going into the Final Four … Averaged 13.7 ppg, 5.5 apg and only 1.8 topg in his 17 games against NCAA Tournament teams … Was able to gain the trust of coach Mike Krzyzewski immediately, as he moved Quinn Cook to the off guard position, with the two small guards forming a really nice duo … While he may be a notch below most starting point guards as far as athleticism is concerned, his ability to see the floor and see plays will surely get him some minutes as at least a steady handed back-up … If he improves his shooting, adds strength and shows a greater defensive awareness, coaches will love the intangibles he brings to a team … His level of efficiency as a scorer will be something to watch as time passes by, though his ability to run the offense in the half court and his vision as a distributor will be valuable attributes … Seems to be a likely first round pick, in the mid-to-late range, should he enter the draft this year … Coach K surely would love to have him back in the fold as Duke has no current successor to take his place …
Michael Visenberg 4/2/15
Strengths: Smart, and polished point guard who sees the game two plays ahead … Excellent in pick and roll situations … Makes great decisions in the half court and open floor … A great passer and leader who isn’t afraid to take big shots … Makes winning plays … Can impact games without scoring … His jumpshot has improved considerably … Can get into the lane at will, and draws a lot of fouls, good free throw shooter … Finishes well at the rim … Has sneaky athleticism … Big hands for his size, values the ball and is not turnover prone … Runs a team efficiently, makes the extra pass, understands angles and recognizes match ups …
Weaknesses: Doesn’t possess ideal physical attributes … More crafty than quick and not an elite level athlete … Lacks great size, length and frame to add weight. Plays small … Really struggles on the defensive end due to lack of great strength and length … Gambles too much defensively to offset deficiencies … An improved shooter, but still needs more consistency … Not blinding quick or fast, will have issues finishing over length at the NBA level … Defensive limitations will magnify at pro level … Frame doesn’t look like it can hold much more weight … Lacks much upside …
Overall: Jones is one of the more polished point guard prospects to come along in the last few years … He’s not as big and strong as Andrew Harrison or Emmanuel Mudiay but he makes up for some of it with IQ and instincts … Lacks great upside and will be limited as far his NBA potential is concerned due to lack of great size and athleticism … More than likely will never be a superstar but in turn likely won’t be a bust. Projects as an above average starter …
Ian Powers 9/13/13
Notes: Measured 6’0.75, 191.2 lbs, with a 6’5.25 wingspan and 8’0.75 reach at the 2014 USA U18 tryouts
November 3, 2013
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