Officially Waived: The Kai Jones Thread

JMAC3 · Post #561 » by **JMAC3** » Sat Jul 8, 2023 1:09 pm

I would still trade Kai if it would help us land a decent backup point guard, cash in on his hype now.

wilson115 · Post #562 » by **wilson115** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:17 am

di·chot·o·my
noun
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Read on Twitter

Post #563 » by **Diop** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:37 am

wilson115 wrote:di·chot·o·my
noun
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Read on Twitter

great presentation of Kai, good athletic dunk then terrible defense.

Bassman · Post #564 » by **Bassman** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:44 am

Kai is a defensive dunce, a knucklehead who can’t get position, won’t challenge people, and can’t grab a real rebound to save his mama. Nobody wants him, and if they somehow did, LETS MAKE A DEAL!

Liver_Pooty · Post #565 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:52 am

Diop wrote:
wilson115 wrote:di·chot·o·my
noun
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Read on Twitter

great presentation of Kai, good athletic dunk then terrible defense.

Almost like he intentionally let him go thinking his athleticism will allow him to get a block. That just doesn't happen against a decent nba player.

amcoolio · Post #566 » by **amcoolio** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:53 am

I like Kai Jones, he just isn't a NBA rotation player. He's essentially our Jan Veselý

Good to see him play well on offense and in transition tonight

KembaWalker · Post #567 » by **KembaWalker** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:55 am

I just don't get what him and Bouk have been doing with their time the last 3 years. like I know Kai's not lazy at least, just don't get how you can play for 3 years full time professionally and not show a single shred of improvement in any area, especially when you were so raw to begin with. Even Biz improved a little bit

Post #568 » by **JDR720** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 3:01 am

Kai is basically Vonleh but more athletic and higher motor.

Neither of them know how to play basketball, but at least Vonleh was a good rebounder and showed flashes of skill.

While Kai has some highlight dunks and blocks.

I don't want to give up on him. But his IQ isn't going to improve and his skills haven't either.

At least he doesn't suck the joy out of basketball like Bouknight does. I can't understand how someone gets paid millions and have this opportunity and...doesn't seem to care.

Post #569 » by **JDR720** » Wed Jul 12, 2023 3:09 am

KembaWalker wrote:I just don't get what him and Bouk have been doing with their time the last 3 years. like I know Kai's not lazy at least, just don't get how you can play for 3 years full time professionally and not show a single shred of improvement in any area, especially when you were so raw to begin with. Even Biz improved a little bit

Bismack has managed to stick around for a decade because he is a very good rim defender and solid rebounder, even if he peaked very early. I still remember the games when he scored on Dwight and blocked Harden like 5 times. We really thought we had something...

Kai doesn't have any skills other than dunking and being athletic. Even Vonleh stuck around a few years because he is a good rebounder.

If we keep him, which I think we will at least for this season, the priority should be to teach him how to play a specific role and only that role. Don't dribble, don't shoot unless wide open. Just offensive rebound, catch lobs and hustle.

If he can't even do that, no point in keeping him.

JMAC3 · Post #570 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:40 pm

If we decline him and Bouk 4th year options it opens up nearly 11 million in cap space next season.
Pretty obvious decision at this point.

LofJ · Post #571 » by **LofJ** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:56 pm

JMAC3 wrote:If we decline him and Bouk 4th year options it opens up nearly 11 million in cap space next season.
Pretty obvious decision at this point.

Kai is a unicorn athlete and also has a great attitude, he still has some value around the league. Bouknight though? Yeah, decline that option and open up the cap space.

Rich4114 · Post #572 » by **Rich4114** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 5:39 pm

LofJ wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:If we decline him and Bouk 4th year options it opens up nearly 11 million in cap space next season.
Pretty obvious decision at this point.

Kai is a unicorn athlete and also has a great attitude, he still has some value around the league. Bouknight though? Yeah, decline that option and open up the cap space.

Agreed, count me in the camp of keep Kai and decline Bouk's.

JMAC3 · Post #573 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 6:09 pm

Kai? The guy that couldn't grab more than 2 rebounds in summer league? Yeah I am out on him.

Rich4114 · Post #574 » by **Rich4114** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:16 pm

JMAC3 wrote:Kai? The guy that couldn't grab more than 2 rebounds in summer league? Yeah I am out on him.

He's still way too raw, but you bank on the size+athleticism+potential because that doesn't come around very often. Plus he seems to be a hard worker with a good attitude. You give him one more season to see if he can carve out a role with this team at full strength.

Post #575 » by **luciano-davidwesley** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:45 pm

Rich4114 wrote:
LofJ wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:If we decline him and Bouk 4th year options it opens up nearly 11 million in cap space next season.
Pretty obvious decision at this point.

Kai is a unicorn athlete and also has a great attitude, he still has some value around the league. Bouknight though? Yeah, decline that option and open up the cap space.

Agreed, count me in the camp of keep Kai and decline Bouk's.

Haha, Kai Jones is the most clueless and clumsy guy I've ever seen at this level.

The fact he is tall and athletic means absolutely nothing when you factor in his absolutely non-existent feel for the game.

If we don't cut him it is purely based on the (delusional) hope he somehow figures out how to actually play basketball. Seeing as though he has made 0 progress in this regard over multiple seasons I'm not holding my breath.

Post #576 » by **luciano-davidwesley** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:49 pm

Rich4114 wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:Kai? The guy that couldn't grab more than 2 rebounds in summer league? Yeah I am out on him.

He's still way too raw, but you bank on the size+athleticism+potential because that doesn't come around very often. Plus he seems to be a hard worker with a good attitude. You give him one more season to see if he can carve out a role with this team at full strength.

Ah good old "potential". The magic word that earned many a bum millions more than they deserved in the NBA.

It's clear Kai does not have it, despite how many videos he posts of himself in the gym on Twitter and Instagram jumping really high.

Rich4114 · Post #577 » by **Rich4114** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:11 pm

luciano-davidwesley wrote:
Rich4114 wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:Kai? The guy that couldn't grab more than 2 rebounds in summer league? Yeah I am out on him.

He's still way too raw, but you bank on the size+athleticism+potential because that doesn't come around very often. Plus he seems to be a hard worker with a good attitude. You give him one more season to see if he can carve out a role with this team at full strength.

Ah good old "potential". The magic word that earned many a bum millions more than they deserved in the NBA.

It's clear Kai does not have it, despite how many videos he posts of himself in the gym on Twitter and Instagram jumping really high.

It’s been two seasons and we all knew he was a project before he was even drafted. He has shown flashes when on the court with better players. I’m almost certain the org will plan on using this season as his final evaluation to figure out if he’s got a future role on the team or not. They will probably do the same for Bouk too, but I don’t believe in Bouk’s attitude and while he’s super athletic he doesn’t offer anything else special like shooting, size, defense or basketball IQ.

On Kai, throwing a first round pick in the trash after two seasons when everyone knew he would take two seasons at minimum to get real minutes would be something else.

Post #578 » by **luciano-davidwesley** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:31 pm

Rich4114 wrote:
luciano-davidwesley wrote:
Rich4114 wrote:
He's still way too raw, but you bank on the size+athleticism+potential because that doesn't come around very often. Plus he seems to be a hard worker with a good attitude. You give him one more season to see if he can carve out a role with this team at full strength.

Ah good old "potential". The magic word that earned many a bum millions more than they deserved in the NBA.

It's clear Kai does not have it, despite how many videos he posts of himself in the gym on Twitter and Instagram jumping really high.

It’s been two seasons and we all knew he was a project before he was even drafted. He has shown flashes when on the court with better players. I’m almost certain the org will plan on using this season as his final evaluation to figure out if he’s got a future role on the team or not. They will probably do the same for Bouk too, but I don’t believe in Bouk’s attitude and while he’s super athletic he doesn’t offer anything else special like shooting, size, defense or basketball IQ.

On Kai, throwing a first round pick in the trash after two seasons when everyone knew he would take two seasons at minimum to get real minutes would be something else.

He's a third year guy that got torched by summer league UDFA's. He's not worth wasting a roster spot on at this stage. He's not going to magically get better. He's going to be the next Marcus Haislip.

JMAC3 · Post #579 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:34 pm

He is the type of guy that needs to be a on a team that is working on developing 1 or 2 players. Give him all the attention and maybe he turns into a decent backup at some point. Not worth all the effort for a team with plenty of other young guys that is more in need of vets.

Post #580 » by **JDR720** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:42 pm

We aren't going to sign anyone to replace him.

So I don't see much of a reason to get rid of him.

Unlike Bouknight, where we have 3 other young players at his position.

At least Kai is a positive guy in the locker room and has good tools. He just needs a simple role that he can do, like dunk and catch lobs.