OKC Thunder NBA draft profile: Kai Jones – raw talent with high upside
Kai Jones strengths and weaknesses
Strengths:
Witness the speed and agility of Kai Jones as he streaks down the sidelines and it’s easy to see his track and field influences. The fundamentals of being involved in that sport translate to the hardwood and are highlighted via his speed, footwork, and rim rocking dunks.
With the ability to slide laterally it means Jones projects to be able to guard one through five although he’ll need to add muscle and weight to face up against the bigger centers in the NBA.
In addition to his speed, his vertical leap is solid and shows most prominently when he’s crashing the boards, attempting to block shots, or flushing lobs. He pulled down only 4.8 rebounds per game but 2.0 came on the offensive glass and he averaged just under a block (0.9) per game.
In his sophomore season, he improved as a perimeter shooter hitting 38.2 percent of his shots; up from 29.2 percent in his freshman year. Granted this was on just 1.3 attempts and his free throw efficiency could be a harbinger of concern (68.9 percent). However, his attempts and efficiency are experiencing growth each year which offers reason for optimism.
Jones moves well for a big man and in a rarity can create his own shot (although this skillset needs to be refined). He’s raw but the growth demonstrated in college hints he could experience substantial growth in passing, shooting, and ballhandling.
Weaknesses:
His athleticism and frame will afford him versatility but he’ll need to add strength to fend off bigger centers. Moreover, he has a tendency to get into foul trouble in those matchups so he’ll need to be careful in the pros as he’ll face more powerful bigs than he did in college.
The limited rebounds (4.8) and scoring (8.8) raise red flags given his athleticism and raw talent. Part of the answer may be the Longhorns played him with center Jericho Sims (7.2) and forward Greg Brown (6.2) who also crashed the glass taking some of his rebounding opportunities away.
Although his shooting improved from his freshman to sophomore season he’s still a reluctant shooter which time in the lab with daily reps should help alleviate.
Jones can soar above the rim but he needs to develop an arsenal of moves in the paint. Until he does plus adds muscle it may be wiser to play him at the four accompanied by a big man.
He has a high motor so if he commits to hitting the weight room and developing a few inside moves he’ll unlock the full potential of his game. Although he’s demonstrated decent ballhandling skills he needs work on catching the ball especially since his club will want to unleash him with lobs at the rim.
With only five years of exposure to the sport he trails his counterparts in terms of their natural learning curve. That can be partially offset with a commitment to spending substantial time in the film room to make up for the time he lost gaining experience and organic development.