Steve_424
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By moderator request, here's a close-up on another potential future Cavalier, Perry Jones based on various sources from around the web.
Age: 19
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 235
College: Baylor
Position: Small Forward
NBA Comparisons
Tracy McGrady, Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis, Anthony Randolph, Andray Blatche
Background
There's not much out there on Jones...he is from Texas and chose Baylor because it was close to home. He says he patterns his game off of Kevin Durant. He lists his interests as music and spending time with family. I'd also venture to guess that he is religious, based on various comments made by Jones.
Scouting Reports
NBADraft.net
Strengths: Has incredible length for a wing player – has a 7’2.5” wingspan ... His NBA position is definitely on the wing as his perimeter skills - notably ball handling, lateral foot speed and athleticism - are phenomenal ... He can shoot the three, or pull up off the dribble, but is much better when attacking the basket ... He loves to work from the top of the key and take his man off the dribble, getting into the lane where he can use his size ... He has a tendency to take on two and three defenders at a time but is great at initiating contact and squaring up for one-handed runners and floaters to finish near the rim, when he's not throwing down highlight dunks ... Jones shows an aggressiveness and emotional fire that scouts like to see in players with this much potential.
Weaknesses: He sometimes tries to do too much, which at the high school level is completely fine because of his talent ... However, as he grows up and plays at higher levels he will have to learn to work with his teammates and improve his basketball IQ in this area if he expects to be a star ... He is special with the ball in his hands but isn't all that helpful when that's not the case ... His length makes him intimidating on defense but he doesn't give maximum effort on this side of the ball ... He will often coast on plays, standing on the three-point line waiting for the ball ... He can shoot from the perimeter but isn’t yet consistent ... Is expected to play a good deal in the post in his senior year at Duncanville, so his development on the perimeter (his long term position is small forward) will likely come in college ...
NBADraftExpress
Jones had no problem putting behind a very disappointing high school senior season behind him, showing immediately in the practices why he’s arguably the best long term prospect of any player in this class. His body has developed noticeably since we last saw him, and his athleticism and upside is clearly off the charts. He did a great job of showing his perimeter skills as well, in particular his shooting stroke, which looked outstanding even out to the 3-point line. Defensively, he was active and aggressive rotating from the weak-side as a shot-blocker, but struggled at times in man to man situations, particularly when being backed down by the super strong and tough Jared Sullinger. Jones is clearly an extremely rare talent who likely be picked very very high whenever he decides to enter the draft. Recruiting analysts continue to question why him and his high school team underachieved so badly this year, but Jones has his fair share of explanations for why he struggled at times. You can hear all of them in the interview we conducted above.
Simply put, no prospect in the 2010 high school class displays more NBA potential than Baylor commit Perry Jones (#12 Scout, #6 Rivals, #3 ESPN). Right off the bat, Jones wows you with his terrific physical attributes—standing 6-10 or 6-11, with a great frame, long arms and incredible athleticism. Jones runs the floor like a deer, explodes off the ground as if he has a personal trampoline at his disposal, and is extremely fluid and reactive to everything that goes on around him.
Skill-wise, there is quite a bit to like here as well. We regularly saw Jones grab a rebound and then handle the ball up-court himself, often weaving in and out of traffic before dishing off a perfectly timed no-look pass right into the path of a teammate streaking towards the basket. He also has a very nice jump-shot, showing streaky range out to the 3-point line, but with the type of touch and mechanics that lead you to believe that he can develop this part of his game into a real weapon in time.
When attacking the rim in the half-court, Jones displays an excellent first step and is capable of getting to the basket in two long strides, sometimes mixing in some very nice spins and pivot moves, often starting off a sharp crossover. Once he’s inside the paint, he finishes with the greatest of ease, typically in highlight reel fashion. Jones is certain to be a fixture many a highlight reel, as he has slamdunk contest-caliber leaping ability. His teammates regularly just throw lobs in the general direction of the rim, knowing that Jones will find a way to go get the ball and hammer it home.
In terms of weaknesses, there are a few you could point towards. One would be his complete lack of a back to the basket game, something you’d like to see him develop considering the quickness and nifty footwork he displays. He needs to get stronger in the lower body first, and probably quite a bit tougher in the paint as well.
He also doesn’t always box out for rebounds, and is way too upright trying to guard the post, often just waiting for an opportunity to go and chase a blocked shot, rather than trying to deny position and play solid man to man defense. These are not very rare things for a big man this young, especially one who is a very late bloomer, like Jones clearly is, having experienced a late growth spurt that saw him shoot up dramatically over the course of a few years.
Despite the criticism, you’d be hard pressed to find a player with such an impressive combination of natural tools and skills as Perry Jones displays. His ability to create his own shot from the perimeter and find the open man with impressive passing skills is extremely unique at this level, and should make him a very popular prospect amongst NBA scouts in the 2010-2011 season. If he continues to progress and play like he did in Las Vegas when we saw him this summer, it’s going to be tough to envision him staying in school very long, as he could be a very very high draft pick.
Intangibles
From NBADraftExpress
Jones doesn’t always seem to be as focused or intense as you might hope, as it’s not rare to see him check out of a game mentally, at times for long stretches. He seems to get down on himself from time to time, not being aggressive at all, and playing with too little energy if he’s not directly involved in everything going on around him. This shows up on the defensive end and on the glass in particular, where he tends to rely too much on his athleticism and displays just average fundamentals. That athleticism does come in very handy in the form of steals and blocked shots, though, which he gets plenty of.
My Take
There's a strong argument that Jones has the highest ceiling of any NBA prospect, and the comparisons to Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant make that perfectly clear. At the same time, the wide range in comparisons (from Durant to Blatche) also shows that while he has the talent and potential to be the next great NBA superstar, he is still very raw and far less of a "sure thing" than other top prospects. He has incredible athleticism, and some feel he has been misused in his short time at Baylor. I'd be excited to get Jones, but the "bust" potential does scare me in what will be a potentially franchise-changing pick for the Cavaliers this summer.
Age: 19
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 235
College: Baylor
Position: Small Forward
NBA Comparisons
Tracy McGrady, Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis, Anthony Randolph, Andray Blatche
Background
There's not much out there on Jones...he is from Texas and chose Baylor because it was close to home. He says he patterns his game off of Kevin Durant. He lists his interests as music and spending time with family. I'd also venture to guess that he is religious, based on various comments made by Jones.
Scouting Reports
NBADraft.net
Strengths: Has incredible length for a wing player – has a 7’2.5” wingspan ... His NBA position is definitely on the wing as his perimeter skills - notably ball handling, lateral foot speed and athleticism - are phenomenal ... He can shoot the three, or pull up off the dribble, but is much better when attacking the basket ... He loves to work from the top of the key and take his man off the dribble, getting into the lane where he can use his size ... He has a tendency to take on two and three defenders at a time but is great at initiating contact and squaring up for one-handed runners and floaters to finish near the rim, when he's not throwing down highlight dunks ... Jones shows an aggressiveness and emotional fire that scouts like to see in players with this much potential.
Weaknesses: He sometimes tries to do too much, which at the high school level is completely fine because of his talent ... However, as he grows up and plays at higher levels he will have to learn to work with his teammates and improve his basketball IQ in this area if he expects to be a star ... He is special with the ball in his hands but isn't all that helpful when that's not the case ... His length makes him intimidating on defense but he doesn't give maximum effort on this side of the ball ... He will often coast on plays, standing on the three-point line waiting for the ball ... He can shoot from the perimeter but isn’t yet consistent ... Is expected to play a good deal in the post in his senior year at Duncanville, so his development on the perimeter (his long term position is small forward) will likely come in college ...
NBADraftExpress
Jones had no problem putting behind a very disappointing high school senior season behind him, showing immediately in the practices why he’s arguably the best long term prospect of any player in this class. His body has developed noticeably since we last saw him, and his athleticism and upside is clearly off the charts. He did a great job of showing his perimeter skills as well, in particular his shooting stroke, which looked outstanding even out to the 3-point line. Defensively, he was active and aggressive rotating from the weak-side as a shot-blocker, but struggled at times in man to man situations, particularly when being backed down by the super strong and tough Jared Sullinger. Jones is clearly an extremely rare talent who likely be picked very very high whenever he decides to enter the draft. Recruiting analysts continue to question why him and his high school team underachieved so badly this year, but Jones has his fair share of explanations for why he struggled at times. You can hear all of them in the interview we conducted above.
Simply put, no prospect in the 2010 high school class displays more NBA potential than Baylor commit Perry Jones (#12 Scout, #6 Rivals, #3 ESPN). Right off the bat, Jones wows you with his terrific physical attributes—standing 6-10 or 6-11, with a great frame, long arms and incredible athleticism. Jones runs the floor like a deer, explodes off the ground as if he has a personal trampoline at his disposal, and is extremely fluid and reactive to everything that goes on around him.
Skill-wise, there is quite a bit to like here as well. We regularly saw Jones grab a rebound and then handle the ball up-court himself, often weaving in and out of traffic before dishing off a perfectly timed no-look pass right into the path of a teammate streaking towards the basket. He also has a very nice jump-shot, showing streaky range out to the 3-point line, but with the type of touch and mechanics that lead you to believe that he can develop this part of his game into a real weapon in time.
When attacking the rim in the half-court, Jones displays an excellent first step and is capable of getting to the basket in two long strides, sometimes mixing in some very nice spins and pivot moves, often starting off a sharp crossover. Once he’s inside the paint, he finishes with the greatest of ease, typically in highlight reel fashion. Jones is certain to be a fixture many a highlight reel, as he has slamdunk contest-caliber leaping ability. His teammates regularly just throw lobs in the general direction of the rim, knowing that Jones will find a way to go get the ball and hammer it home.
In terms of weaknesses, there are a few you could point towards. One would be his complete lack of a back to the basket game, something you’d like to see him develop considering the quickness and nifty footwork he displays. He needs to get stronger in the lower body first, and probably quite a bit tougher in the paint as well.
He also doesn’t always box out for rebounds, and is way too upright trying to guard the post, often just waiting for an opportunity to go and chase a blocked shot, rather than trying to deny position and play solid man to man defense. These are not very rare things for a big man this young, especially one who is a very late bloomer, like Jones clearly is, having experienced a late growth spurt that saw him shoot up dramatically over the course of a few years.
Despite the criticism, you’d be hard pressed to find a player with such an impressive combination of natural tools and skills as Perry Jones displays. His ability to create his own shot from the perimeter and find the open man with impressive passing skills is extremely unique at this level, and should make him a very popular prospect amongst NBA scouts in the 2010-2011 season. If he continues to progress and play like he did in Las Vegas when we saw him this summer, it’s going to be tough to envision him staying in school very long, as he could be a very very high draft pick.
Intangibles
From NBADraftExpress
Jones doesn’t always seem to be as focused or intense as you might hope, as it’s not rare to see him check out of a game mentally, at times for long stretches. He seems to get down on himself from time to time, not being aggressive at all, and playing with too little energy if he’s not directly involved in everything going on around him. This shows up on the defensive end and on the glass in particular, where he tends to rely too much on his athleticism and displays just average fundamentals. That athleticism does come in very handy in the form of steals and blocked shots, though, which he gets plenty of.
My Take
There's a strong argument that Jones has the highest ceiling of any NBA prospect, and the comparisons to Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant make that perfectly clear. At the same time, the wide range in comparisons (from Durant to Blatche) also shows that while he has the talent and potential to be the next great NBA superstar, he is still very raw and far less of a "sure thing" than other top prospects. He has incredible athleticism, and some feel he has been misused in his short time at Baylor. I'd be excited to get Jones, but the "bust" potential does scare me in what will be a potentially franchise-changing pick for the Cavaliers this summer.
