PHL Anon
It’s been an exciting summer for Philly fans finally seeing “The Process” play out. We have seen highlight after highlight of Ben Simmons in the NBA Summer League, Dario Saric is now finally a Sixer [for real], Joel Embiid is “healthy,” and everything as of now seems to be on course. However, the one major glaring need on this roster is still that the team is majorly lacking in the point guard department. It’s devoid of talent and prospects.
The Sixers were rumored to be seriously interested in trading up in the draft to grab Providence point guard, Kris Dunn, but they weren’t able to make the trade necessary to acquire him. He’s now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This miss left the Sixers in a place where they are still short on talent at the point guard position, even though they signed Jerryd Bayless shortly after.
The Timberwolves may have snagged the guy the Sixers wanted, but they may also have the answer to the Sixers problem. No, I am not saying the Sixers are going to convince the T-Wolves to trade Dunn after just drafting him, I don’t really like the idea of Rubio, and Zach LaVine seems like he is a fan favorite that has a future with the team. So who could be the future for the Sixers at the point? Summer League MVP Tyus Jones.
In seven games in Las Vegas, Jones averaged 19.4 points on 45.7 percent shooting to go with 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was named MVP, and was also named to the All-NBA Summer League 2016 First Team along with Ben Simmons.
Another reason it may be a good fit? Well, Jones was college teammates with Sixers forward, Jahlil Okafor, who was at the Las Vegas Summer League finale and was one of the first to greet and congratulate Jones post game.
https://twitter.com/DukeNBA/status/754828229869969408
What was said about Jones last year at draft time? Very positive things!
Strengths
- Excellent lead guard skills
- Makes clutch plays
- High basketball IQ
- Good three-point shooter
- Excellent free-throw shooter
- Great assist-to-turnover ratio
Weaknesses
- Not an elite athlete at his position
- Doesn’t have great size
- Needs to gain bulk and strength
NBA projection: Draft analysts have projected Jones to be taken in the late teens or early 20s of the first round. He’ll have a solid career because true lead guards are hard to come by. His skills as a playmaker will make him valuable; he’s excellent at making sure the right people get the ball in the right spots.
2014-15 Season
Jones made the All-ACC third team and was also chosen to the league’s All-Freshman team after becoming just the second freshman in Duke history to score 400 or more points and pass for 200 or more assists. His 217 assists rank third in school history, as does his single-season free-throw percentage (.889). His 144 made three-throws are second among Duke freshmen.
As you can see, many in the Draft community thought he has the skill package to be successful in the NBA. So what did non-draft experts have to say about him?
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
“He is projected to be a first-round pick. He’s going to get a lot better, but people have already seen him and know how he handles himself, especially in pressure situations and in the biggest games. He comes through like a champion. I loved coaching him, and I believe he’ll be an outstanding professional.”
There aren’t many people more highly respected than Coach K in the basketball community. Getting praise from him like that means a lot, and speaks to why this may be a trade that makes too much sense for the Sixers. Also, Coach K saying he handles pressure situations well. I think these highlights of Jones leading his team to the Summer League finals echo that sentiment.
.@Tyusjones06 in beast mode last night and the @Timberwolves are in the Final! #NBASummer #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/f9PvkFD7WX
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) July 18, 2016
Combine all of these factors and the fact that the Timberwolves are stacked at the guard position, with Jones sitting at the back end of that depth, the Sixers could look to make a low cost, high reward move to acquire the former Duke star.
Do I think that because Jones looked good in the Summer League that it means he will be a star, or the long term answer for the Sixers? No. Would it be worth the gamble to see what he could bring to a very young Sixers roster? Absolutely.