Terrence Jones Rising Up Draft Boards

[lwc]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=112697

Flipping channels on the radio this morning, I heard a tidbit that confirms some talk from earlier this week. Terrence Jones is an early riser up the NBA Draft boards according to a couple of NBA scouts. For reasons that aren’t clear (they havent even done that many workouts), Jones is higher on most draft boards than he was before and some believe he could end up going as high as 7th in the Draft, to the Golden State Warriors.
This could of course change, as the mock drafts have players go up and down them at all times. But just two weeks ago, Jones was projected 14th overall…if he moves up to 7th, it is only good news for the real T Jones as he tries to teach them about Kentucky.

The Kings draft pick is higher than 5, but I know there are some Terrence Jones fans on this forum, and it helps those of us who do our own mock drafts.

Would he be a stretch at 5? I tend to think so, but what do you think?

Thought? Comments?

 

[upinsmoke]

I don't know if "stretch" or "reach" would be the right words remember when we picked up JT people used those words but his game is fine tuning and he looks to be a solid player now. As for T. Jones I am one of those who really like his game. He brings alot to the table Rebs, Blocks, Defense and finishes hard around the rim. The things he needs to improve in are correctable with hard work and experience and I bealive he can play the three full time eventually.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Can't say I'm surprised. I'm a big fan of Jones. He is a very good defender and athlete. He is also skilled, being able to handle the ball and pass/create for others. His shot needs work, but it definitely showed signs of improvement in his second year. Like others, I believe his talents were really covered up due to playing on a loaded Kentucky team.

Many people question whether he can play SF. For me, it's obvious that he can. Even though this seems to go against common sense, people always seem less athletic in college than in the pros. Don't know if this has got to do with superficial effects such as camera angle, or simply having more space in the pros. But there are countless examples of this. Even in this last draft, many people doubted that Kawhi Leonard could play SF. But Jones is quick enough to guard most SFs IMO. He's a very good athlete. I also love his attitude and intangibles. I actually think he's a very good fit for this team, wouldn't be disappointed to see him end up a King.

 

[lwc]

Terrence Jones might be the most versatile three in the draft. His freshman season at UK he was a beast down on the block. This season he seemed to hit at least one three in every game and had a quality stop-n-pop shot in transition.

 

[bajaden]

Can't say I'm surprised. I'm a big fan of Jones. He is a very good defender and athlete. He is also skilled, being able to handle the ball and pass/create for others. His shot needs work, but it definitely showed signs of improvement in his second year. Like others, I believe his talents were really covered up due to playing on a loaded Kentucky team.

Many people question whether he can play SF. For me, it's obvious that he can. Even though this seems to go against common sense, people always seem less athletic in college than in the pros. Don't know if this has got to do with superficial effects such as camera angle, or simply having more space in the pros. But there are countless examples of this. Even in this last draft, many people doubted that Kawhi Leonard could play SF. But Jones is quick enough to guard most SFs IMO. He's a very good athlete. I also love his attitude and intangibles. I actually think he's a very good fit for this team, wouldn't be disappointed to see him end up a King.

I agree with you. I've stated that I think Jones will be a better pro player than he was a college player. I think, like with Cousins, he'll surprise people with some skills that were hidden within Calapari's system. I don't have a doubt that he can play SF. Thats where I always had him projected. He's one of those players that does a little bit of everything. He was also the second leading shotblocker on the Kentucky team. Good athlete, who has an NBA body and isn't afraid to be physical around the basket.

As for whether he's a reach or not, I'm not sure that matters to Petrie. No one had even heard of Peja when he made the pick. No one had heard of Hedo either. Petrie is notorious for picking the player he thinks is the best player for the Kings, regardless of what most mockdrafts say.

 

[lwc]

Sometimes Petrie could have traded down and got his players too. That is why I use the words 'reach'. A player can be great but considered a reach because of their projection. I think Jeffery Taylor will be a good defensive NBA player, but if he was picked at 5, it would be a reach.

Around the time of the last draft, Jones was a top 5 player. I don't think he should have fallen like he did, so I do not think it a reach in his talent. If Petrie wanted him as his pick, he could trade down a few spots and still get him. Why pick him at 5 if he is available at 8, for example. By trading down, he could pick up salary help, or an extra pick, etc...

 

[DesertFox]

Jones just looks like a top 5 prospect. Last year he would have been an easy top 5. For whatever reason, the extra year of college has pushed him down, but he still looks good to me.
If the team picked him up at 5 I would not be disappointed. If they find a way to move down a few spots, and maybe dump a contract, then I'd be ecstatic.

 

[bajaden]

Sometimes Petrie could have traded down and got his players too. That is why I use the words 'reach'. A player can be great but considered a reach because of their projection. I think Jeffery Taylor will be a good defensive NBA player, but if he was picked at 5, it would be a reach.

Around the time of the last draft, Jones was a top 5 player. I don't think he should have fallen like he did, so I do not think it a reach in his talent. If Petrie wanted him as his pick, he could trade down a few spots and still get him. Why pick him at 5 if he is available at 8, for example. By trading down, he could pick up salary help, or an extra pick, etc...

Of course whether a player is a reach or not is all subjective. If you consider someone a good player that fits your needs, but you don't take him because he would be considered a reach, you letting other peoples opinions make your decisions for you. A mock draft is just that. Other peoples decisions on where players should go in the draft. Last season if a team would have drafted Chandler Parsons in the mid first round, he would have been considered a reach. Houston picked him in the second round, and now, if the draft were redone, Parsons probably would go somewhere between 15 and 25. So in fact, he wouldn't have been a reach. Ditto I.Thomas!

Trading down is all well and good, but you have to be careful. If your trained eye has spotted a gem, there's a likelyhood that someone else has as well. In Terrence Jones case, if a top 5 team likes him, they're not about to say so. That includes the Kings. Maybe especially the Kings, since Petrie is probably the most secretive GM in the NBA. If anything does leak out, its most likely a smoke screen.

 

[Uncia03]

I don't know if "stretch" or "reach" would be the right words remember when we picked up JT people used those words but his game is fine tuning and he looks to be a solid player now. As for T. Jones I am one of those who really like his game. He brings alot to the table Rebs, Blocks, Defense and finishes hard around the rim. The things he needs to improve in are correctable with hard work and experience and I bealive he can play the three full time eventually.

I like T. Jones, but my issue with him is the same as it's always been and that's regarding his position.
Even after 2 years he hadn't sold me that he could be a full-time SF. I see him more as a 4/3 who can move to the SF on occasion.

Unless he really works on his release, he's never going to be a good spot shooter because his release is abysmally slow. MKG has a strange release, but at least it's fairly quick, while T. Jones looks like he's shooting underwater.

Another issue seems to be his engagement. It seems that sometimes he just isn't engaged in the game, and Calipari would have to pull him out, yell at him a bit, kick him in the posterior, then send him back out on the floor.

Now when he is engaged...I really like his game. He's physical and tenacious on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

So if we selected him with the 5th pick I'd be....ok with it and wish him the best. I don't think we'd pick him unless it was with the intent to play him at the SF position.
I wouldn't want him to be used exclusively at the PF spot because I think he'll end up being too undersized.

 

[DesertFox]

Jones is 250 and has a 7-2 wingspan. I'm not worried about his size. Shawn Marion is a little smaller and has an awkward release, and has done fine at both forward spots as an up and down shooter.

I like him because he is a good piece who can adjust to your team, not someone you have to build around (like Tyreke or Cuz). He is not a bad shooter, and if you need a SF I can see him making himself a serviceable shooter and having a rich man's James Posey career. Or if need be you can put him at the 4, and let him excel as a faceup basket driver and help defense stud, like a lesser Josh Smith. If things break right, he can be Marion, who has gone from a pure athlete, to 3 point threat, back to a post SF.

 

[Uncia03]

Jones is 250 and has a 7-2 wingspan. I'm not worried about his size. Shawn Marion is a little smaller and has an awkward release, and has done fine at both forward spots as an up and down shooter.

I like him because he is a good piece who can adjust to your team, not someone you have to build around (like Tyreke or Cuz). He is not a bad shooter, and if you need a SF I can see him making himself a serviceable shooter and having a rich man's James Posey career. Or if need be you can put him at the 4, and let him excel as a faceup basket driver and help defense stud, like a lesser Josh Smith. If things break right, he can be Marion, who has gone from a pure athlete, to 3 point threat, back to a post SF.

You mis-understand me. My problem isn't that he'll be too small, but rather he'll be too big.
His game is far more about being a face-up attacking PF than being a perimeter wing SF.

He could end up being one of those tweeners who just doesn't have the quickness/game of a SF, but is just not quite big enough to play the PF position full time. Frankly, if we drafted him to be our PF with the 5th pick I'd be extremely disappointed. It only makes sense to take him with the 5th pick if our front office envision him being able to play the SF position full time.
I'm still not sold that he can be a full time wing SF, but if we draft him for that purpose, I'll trust Petrie that he can get it done.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

No way he slides past Portland at 6. Club bleeding talent grabs hometown star.

 

[bajaden]

You mis-understand me. My problem isn't that he'll be too small, but rather he'll be too big.
His game is far more about being a face-up attacking PF than being a perimeter wing SF.

He could end up being one of those tweeners who just doesn't have the quickness/game of a SF, but is just not quite big enough to play the PF position full time. Frankly, if we drafted him to be our PF with the 5th pick I'd be extremely disappointed. It only makes sense to take him with the 5th pick if our front office envision him being able to play the SF position full time.
I'm still not sold that he can be a full time wing SF, but if we draft him for that purpose, I'll trust Petrie that he can get it done.

Of course you and I have had this discussion before concerning Jones. I've always liked him more than you, and I've always felt he was a SF. There's no doubt that he has a funky shot. Its almost as if he's slinging the ball instead of shooting it. Amazingly, he's fairly consistent with it. He does tend to become a spectator at times, and more so this season than last. I think that there was so much talent on this Kentucky team, that he just got caught up watching at times.

He is a good defender, and rebounder. I think his rebound numbers would have been better if Gilchrist and Davis wern't eating up a bunch of them. I also wouldn't be disappointed if we took him, but I want him at SF, not PF. I think you could spot him there once in a while, but not regularly.

 

[lwc]

Of course whether a player is a reach or not is all subjective. If you consider someone a good player that fits your needs, but you don't take him because he would be considered a reach, you letting other peoples opinions make your decisions for you. A mock draft is just that. Other peoples decisions on where players should go in the draft. Last season if a team would have drafted Chandler Parsons in the mid first round, he would have been considered a reach. Houston picked him in the second round, and now, if the draft were redone, Parsons probably would go somewhere between 15 and 25. So in fact, he wouldn't have been a reach. Ditto I.Thomas!

Trading down is all well and good, but you have to be careful. If your trained eye has spotted a gem, there's a likelyhood that someone else has as well. In Terrence Jones case, if a top 5 team likes him, they're not about to say so. That includes the Kings. Maybe especially the Kings, since Petrie is probably the most secretive GM in the NBA. If anything does leak out, its most likely a smoke screen.

Good post.

Agreed about the scariness of trading down, however, any pick at any position in the draft is a gamble. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Telemachus]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=112697



The Kings draft pick is higher than 5, but I know there are some Terrence Jones fans on this forum, and it helps those of us who do our own mock drafts.

Would he be a stretch at 5? I tend to think so, but what do you think?

Thought? Comments?

I don't know if it would be a stretch or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jones ends up being the 2nd best SF in this draft behind only MKG. I like his game a lot and have a feeling that he will surprise a lot of people the next couple years.

 

[upinsmoke]

Just wanted to chime in again and remind everyone that this report is from a Kentucky board to it's not really unbiased and draftexpress has him at 15, that being said I still would be happy if we picked up Jones. Maybe JUST MAYBE Outlaw can get his game on track and more importantly we learn to play as a team.

 

[mac]

Good post.

Agreed about the scariness of trading down, however, any pick at any position in the draft is a gamble. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't.

And lets not forget that we could very well be getting "compensated" for trading down with another John Salmons.

 

[UK_King]

His jump shot seems ok to me, reminds me of Josh Smiths release.

 

[Vlade4GM]

He can hit a shot if he has space. Baja is right, a lot of his skills were hidden in Calipari's system, but the downside to that is that those weren't properly developed like they should have been. Can Jones be a SF? Yeah, he could, but I think he fits more of a hybrid 4 type, I think he'll have the height and reach for it. If he's going to be a 3 though, he has to slim down, because he doesnt have the lateral quickness at his current weight to guard 3's.

 

[lwc]

Just wanted to chime in again and remind everyone that this report is from a Kentucky board to it's not really unbiased and draftexpress has him at 15, that being said I still would be happy if we picked up Jones. Maybe JUST MAYBE Outlaw can get his game on track and more importantly we learn to play as a team.

It is a Kentucky board, but it has been quoted and reported from by many college basketball analysts. They are very biased, BUT when they say that they have talked with GM's or they have facts, they are telling the truth. Are those GM's putting up smoke screens? Probably, but it would not surprise me if it was true. Remember where Jones was this time last year.....

 

[Kingster]

Would Jones be a reach at 5? Only if Robinson, MKG, or Beale were there for the taking. If those guys are gone, then no, he's not a reach. I'd put Jones over Barnes. I might put Lamb over Jones, though. I don't think Jones can be a three, by the way. Just doesn't have the fluidity or ballhandling for that position. I do think he can make an impact immediately in the NBA on defense, but he'll have a long ways to go on the offensive end, imo. He's very mechanical under the basket.

As far as hidden skills, Robinson is going to be a very interesting player to watch. IT said he thought, if anything, the NBA game was easier because he could really use his quickness in space. Robinson could be that player also. He's got tons of quickness. Whether his ballhandling will get good enough to fully utilize it remains an open question.

 

[UK_King]

He describes himself as a 3/4 in an interview i saw.

 

[Mal]

Terrence Ross, his old high school teammate, is moving up rapidly. If Evans is gone, he's good defender, rebounder and very good outside shooter. 6-7 shooting And, besides, he played with Isaiah Thomas.

Sac needs true center shoot-blocker to move Cousins to PF...and another outsider shooter due to Fredette difficiencies. Trade down to 8 to 11 to get him. Evans for a shot blocker and another draft pick.

 

[Mal]

There will be two "hometown stars" in the lottery from the City of Portland...in fact, from the same high school...Terrence Jones and Terrence Ross.

 

[bajaden]

There will be two "hometown stars" in the lottery from the City of Portland...in fact, from the same high school...Terrence Jones and Terrence Ross.

Yep, Terrence Jones caught all kind so flack when he decided to go to Kentucky. I believe he had given a verbal to Washington, and would have rejoined Terrence Ross there. I heard they burned his likeness on campus for his betrayal..

 

[cuad]

How can none of y'all see that T. Jones is just another Donte Greene?

 

[dmj]

Jones is ridiculously underrated right now. The man has ideal size and athleticism for the 3 or 4, and was very productive for a championship team. In fact, I'd say he is the best SF prospect in the draft this year. The only other lottery prospect that comes close is MKG and Jones bests him in just about every category.

 

[DesertFox]

How can none of y'all see that T. Jones is just another Donte Greene?

Donte Greene is a long athlete with a nice looking but ineffective jumpshot.

Terrence Jones is much stronger, faster, explosive, has a better wingspan, and takes it to the basket. He is a much better defender and has the numbers to back it up. He even has better shooting numbers. Their only similarity is the impression of underachieving, but if you look at what Jones has done vs Greene it's a laughable comparison.

It's not even close.

 

[Bricklayer]

Donte Greene is a long athlete with a nice looking but ineffective jumpshot.

Terrence Jones is much stronger, faster, explosive, has a better wingspan, and takes it to the basket. He is a much better defender and has the numbers to back it up. He even has better shooting numbers. Their only similarity is the impression of underachieving, but if you look at what Jones has done vs Greene it's a laughable comparison.

It's not even close.

What Jones has done?

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but what, praytell, has Jones done?

 

[Dime Dropper]

How can none of y'all see that T. Jones is just another Donte Greene?

They are literally nothing alike. That's one of the worst comparisons I've seen in a long, long time.