OKC Thunder: Re-Grading the Perry Jones draft pick

What happened to Perry Jones III?

Again, I was high on Perry Jones III entering the NBA, I loved the pick. Part of that was because my favorite team drafted him, but also I truly loved watching him play in college.

Perry Jones played three years in the NBA, each with the OKC Thunder. His rookie year was a short 38 game stint in which the organization tried to shoehorn him into a small forward spot. In 2013-14, he played 62 games as a power forward and was able to stretch the floor a bit from the four spot.

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While he only attempted a three per game, he shot 36 percent from downtown. Averaging 12 minutes per game while posting three points and a rebound per contest is nothing to write home about. Especially for a first-round pick.

Jones made 21 starts in his NBA career, and 13 of them came in his final year of action. Playing mostly at small forward yet again, Jones averaged four points and a rebound per contest.

One of the most memorable regular-season losses for me in OKC Thunder history–well, is all of them, but remember I am a crazy person–is the October loss to the Clippers in 2014.

Perry Jones posted a career-high 32 points in a three-point loss, going 3-for-6 from downtown, with seven rebounds and three assists. This is exactly why Sam Presti picked the young wing.

To be fair, Russell Westbrook played just eight minutes in that contest, and someone had to score…but still! If you ask Perry Jones, the stacked roster construction of the OKC Thunder is what truly derailed his career.

Perry Jones led the OKC Thunder toe-to-toe with the Lob City Clippers. Alas, that was the extent of Perry Jones’ career. That was the lone bright spot. Now, he has played in the Big 3, and overseas, as his latest NBA comeback bid fell short.

The Re-Grade: F

Knowing what we know now, it is clear there were a ton of better options, that honestly would have made the difference in the OKC Thunder lifting the Larry O in Bricktown. Instead, they got three bad years of Perry Jones.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? What were your honest thoughts of Perry Jones entering the league?