Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series examining top prospects in the NBA Draft. Profiles are based on conversations with NBA general managers and scouts.
Anyone who watched Perry Jones III on the individual workout tour is likely to be impressed. Watching him in actual NBA games, well, who can be sure?
Not NBA scouts or GMs, who view Jones one of two ways:
• An outstanding talent who stands 6-foot-11 and can shoot from inside or out, as well as put the ball on the floor like a guard.
• Someone who too often plays with the energy of a guy who’s headed to the dental office for a 10-hour teeth cleaning.
The first part is why many consider Jones to be worth the risk. The second part is why he’s considered a “risk” in the first place.
Jones enters the draft as a sophomore, having returned to Baylor for a second year to try to quiet the doubters. Instead, all he did was create more doubt — or at best, at least as much.
So the questions about his passion and consistency remain, with scouts being particularly troubled as to why he didn’t really improve.
Does he not have the heart? Does he lack killer instinct? Was he just bored with the competition?
And how can we really expect him to improve in the pros when he didn’t do so in college?
Well, you can bet there will be a team willing to find out, and that team is likely to do it with a top-10 pick. After all, when it comes to Jones, the only thing we know for sure is he’s incredibly gifted.
As posted on DraftExpress.com: “He has a tremendous combination of size, athleticism and skills, making him appear to be capable of doing anything he wants on the basketball court. He shows terrific footwork inside the paint, has 3-point range on his jumper, can handle the ball fluidly from coast to coast, and is a breathtaking finisher around the basket.”
As one NBA GM said, “Yeah. That pretty much covers it.”
So where does that leave Jones entering the draft?
“Like a lot of other guys, the interview process will be big with him," the GM said. "I assume he’ll say all the right things about playing with energy for a full game. Then it will be up to teams to determine whether or not they believe him.”
What teams need to be careful of, according to one scout, is falling into the trap of selecting Jones too high just because he amazes them in individual workouts.
“He can knock down shots with great consistency anywhere from 10 to 18 feet. And when you consider his length and ability to breeze past defenders, he‘s going to be tempting,” the scout said. “Basically, he’s top five in ability. But is he one of the top five players, production-wise, coming out of college? No. Absolutely not.”
And just like any job, the NBA is all about production.
“He could become a force in the pros,” said another GM. “Still, it’s hard to say he will for sure when he didn’t show any improvement (in college). Anyone who drafts him will do so with their fingers crossed and hoping for the best.”
Perry Jones File
Height: 6-foot-11
Weight: 230 pounds
Position: Forward
Date of birth: Sept. 24, 1991 (20 years old)
Hometown: Duncanville, Texas
High School: Duncanville
College: Baylor
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
