OKC Thunder: Tre Jones cites Chris Paul glowingly in media session

As OKC Thunder fans await the next draft they can catch prospect zoom media interviews with Tre Jones appearing in the first round.

Continuing our preview of the NBA Draft prospects media interviews Tre Jones is the final player who took part in the initial sessions. These previews provide OKC Thunder fans with a first glimpse at the players who’ll be vying to join teams in the 2020 NBA Draft.

If the Duke guard looks familiar it might be because he bears an uncanny resemblance to brother Tyus Jones who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jones spent two years at Duke garnering 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals in his sophomore season through 29 games. Jones became more of the primary scorer and playmaker in his second season at Duke and improved his 3-point efficiency from 26.2 percent to 36.1 percent this year.

NBA.com has Jones’ full zoom video available for those who want to watch it in its entirety.

Tre Jones media session highlights:

Unlike most of his peers, Tre got a leg up on the competition watching his brother up close and personal. Tyus spent four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to moving onto the Memphis Grizzlies.

The younger sibling says witnessing the games up close and having his brother’s ear helped him gain a better understanding of how NBA offenses run, spacing, officiating and all the areas of the pro game that differ from NCAA and high school.

Strengths and areas of focus:

Although Jones says his defense was considered his perceived weakness he feels he’s become a more fully-formed player with two years of Duke under his belt. Specifically, he cites how he developed as a leader and was required to set the tone on both sides of the hardwood.

During the pre-draft preparation, he’s working on not having the ball in his hand as an off-ball contributor or secondary playmaker. Jones is also working to improve his perimeter shot with attention to the mechanics, his balance, and making sure ‘his base’ is strong when releasing the ball.

Repeatedly, Jones brought up the defense and how open he is to be a factor on that end of the court whether it be picking up a player full court, guarding man to man, or in a team defensive concept.

Adding to the sibling rivalry, he noted Tyus reads defenses better and has a higher basketball IQ. That said, Tre feels he’s an overall better defender and has worked hard to learn from the example his brother set to improve in the areas he witnessed his brother excel.

Interviewed with OKC Thunder – loves Chris Paul

As with all the prospects, Jones was asked if he’d interviewed with specific teams and only offered an answer on teams he was asked about. The OKC Thunder were one of the clubs he’s talked to and the guard felt the interview went very well.

Like many of the guard prospects, Chris Paul was a player Jones spoke glowingly of. He said ‘there would be nothing like it’ when asked what it would be like to play with CP3. Jones went further noting how Paul has delivered over his 15-year career as an example of leadership, winning ability, running the team, and excelling on both sides of the hardwood. The guard was extremely impressed by how Paul led the Thunder last season and would thoroughly enjoy being mentored by CP3.

Other teams he noted having interviews with were the Bucks, Timberwolves, and Suns. Although his list of teams was substantially less than some of the other prospects Jones noted his agent is only setting up interviews for him with clubs that have a genuine interest in selecting him.

Chicago is a team he’ll meet with but the interview was put on hold presumably to await Billy Donovan’s arrival.

He also offered sound insight on specific teams. For example, Ricky Rubio was a player he picked up a lot from since his brother spent time playing with him in Minnesota. He noted Rubio’s ability to read defenses, holding his dribble, and his unparalleled playmaking as specific things he spent time studying.

Asked about the Pelicans, Jones noted it would be extremely fun to play with New Orleans given the ties to so many of the former Duke players.

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Jones commented on a trio of teams he hasn’t interviewed with suggesting he’s spent ample time watching film and a belief he could fit in their systems. Those teams were the Raptors, 76ers, and Knicks.

As a former teammate, RJ Barrett is a player Jones knows well and speaks extremely high of noting RJ was a ‘huge gamer’ and one of his favorite teammates ever. The duo has remained close and Jones believes Barrett will continue to adapt to become a vital contributor in his career.

Toronto guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet are two players he’s watched a ton of film on which makes sense given his penchant for wanting to be a solid two-way guard.

In terms of the 76ers, he sees a natural fit there given his defensive prowess and how he could help spread the floor to help Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

From what his agent is telling him, Jones expects to be selected in the mid to late first round of the NBA Draft.