RealGM

Kai Jones
Center/Forward

Height: 6'10.0"
Weight: 221
Age: 20
Year: Sophomore

Bahamian big man with tantalizing perimeter skills and the raw versatility to someday become a multi-positional defender

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PLUSES

• Lethal rim-running threat: He’s a bouncy athlete who gets above the rim with ease for lobs, and a coordinated ball handler if he needs to put it on the floor to get to the basket. If he catches the ball from a standstill, he has the patience to use pump fakes to draw defenders, then the explosive verticality to score through contact.
  
  
• Excellent straight-line driver with unusually smooth moves for a player his size. Has a natural feel for shifting gears and changing directions—plus, the footwork to occasionally unleash a Euro-step.
  
  
• Fluid pulling up for jumpers off the dribble. The results aren’t there yet, but bigs who can generate their own shots from the perimeter are hard to find.
  
  
• Incredibly mobile defender capable of switching across positions. Stays in his stance and often deters scorers from even driving inside. Off-ball, he rotates or recovers quickly to alter shots.

MINUSES

• Hesitant shooter who often pump fakes before launching or attacking off the dribble, which will often result in traveling calls due to his raw footwork.
  
  
• Average pass-catching hands. Fumbles some passes.
  
  
• Lacks any semblance of a post game.
  
  
• Sluggish decision-maker.
  
  
• Inconsistent shooting mechanics and below-average free throw percentage.
  
  
• Stronger opponents plow through him, both on drives to the rim and the boards. Has the frame to add muscle, but is years from adding that weight. Retaining his quickness will be critical if he does get heavier.

Meet the Most Interesting Sleeper in the 2021 NBA Draft

Kai Jones might be Texas’s best prospect since Kevin Durant, but you won’t fully appreciate his do-it-all game until you see him play



Kai Jones might be the most intriguing gamble in this year’s draft. The Texas big man is a raw player from the Bahamas who began playing organized basketball just a few years ago. He mostly came off the bench in two seasons in Austin, and averaged only 22.8 minutes per game as a sophomore. But he’s so talented that he will likely be a top-20 pick despite his limited college production.

Jones is the latest in a long line of NBA big men to play for Shaka Smart at Texas, following Jarrett Allen, Mo Bamba, and Jaxson Hayes. He’s an elite athlete with the size (6-foot-11 and 220 pounds) to be a rim-running center who also has the skill to play on the perimeter on offense. There are glimpses of that skill in his stats. He shot 38.2 percent from 3 on 1.3 attempts per game last season, and 68.9 percent from the free throw line on 2.8 attempts per game. Those aren’t great shooting numbers, but they show that he has potential.

Spoiler:

There’s more to being a stretch 4 than spotting up on the perimeter. Jones usually began most possessions at the 3-point line and would have to wind his way to the basket on drives and cuts. That requires the ability to put the ball on the floor, finish from difficult angles, and read the defense on the move. Most big men would be fish out of water in that scenario. Jones made it look easy. He has a natural fluidity with the ball that is impossible to teach.

What makes Jones even more intriguing is that he can play on the perimeter on both ends of the floor. Jones can get in a defensive stance, slide his feet, and stay in front of elite guards. Jones has the talent and the athleticism to be a 6-foot-11 guard. Players like that don’t come around often. They basically don’t exist.

Jones averaged 8.8 points on 58.0 percent shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game this season. There is nothing remarkable about his stats. They aren’t impressive in comparison to the other big men in the draft. But it was a minor miracle that he showed anything given all that was happening around him.

The other factor when evaluating Jones is his background. He grew up as a long jumper in the Bahamas, and was discovered at a Basketball Without Borders camp when he was 16. It was his first time playing the sport in an organized setting. He’s still learning the game, and can already do things that the vast majority of big men his age can’t.

Jones still has a long way to go. He has to keep putting on weight to match up with bigger centers in the NBA. Transitioning to the next level may be difficult because he may not be strong enough to be a 5 or a good enough shooter to be a 4. He’s a project. The team that drafts him has to commit to developing him.

Situation will be huge for Jones. He could go to the wrong team, flounder on the bench for a few seasons, and bounce around the NBA. But the right team could turn him into a star.

Zach Harper wrote:

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He’s top 10 on my big board. Jones can anchor a good defensive unit for extended stretches. He’s basically Bam Adebayo in terms of his versatility and effectiveness on that end.

Offensively, he’s a guy who should be able to stretch the floor some and wreck the rim when he’s around it. He was surprisingly bad as a pick-and-roll big man this past season, turning the ball over a lot. Jones doesn’t have the best hands, so that’s where a lot of the fumbles happen for him. When he has the ball, he has the ability to drive right to the basket, but there isn’t an array of moves from him. It will be a lot of attacking a closeout defender.

Sam Vecenie wrote:Top 100 NBA Draft prospects for 2021

19. Kai Jones
F/C | Texas | Age: 20 | 6-11 | 220 LBS

Strengths
Jones’ athleticism is a major talking point. Will immediately step in as one of the most athletic bigs in the NBA. Runs the floor like a wing — honestly, probably better than most wings with how quickly his long strides cover ground. Easy, elite leaping ability off two feet. Enough pop to dunk off a standstill through traffic. Can handle the ball with fluidity. His athleticism is functional in the way it allows him to utilize it on the court.

Offensive upside is where the most excitement can be with that athleticism. Jones uses that vertical pop to excel as a transition and rolling threat out of ball screens. But he has way more than that to his arsenal. Can knock down 3s. Made 13 3-pointers this past season and profiles as a good long-term shooter. Very smooth jumper with good rhythm and a high release point. Ideal spot is in the corners right now. Also has excellent timing as a cutter diving toward the rim, where he uses that explosiveness well. Can do it from the wing, but best as a corner cutter right now.

The most interesting part of his game as a prospect? That balance and body control also allows him to handle the ball. Can attack closeouts fluidly with ease. Had a couple of one- or- two-dribble pull-ups this past season after a defender came out on him too heavily. Legitimately can attack bigs in a straight line. Outside of Evan Mobley, no big man in this class has the shot creation upside that Jones does. Jones’ skill set is one that portends a lot of lineup versatility if his development breaks right in the next five years.

In part, that versatility also comes from what he brings defensively. Jones’ athleticism also extends to his lateral agility. He’s a legitimately switchable five-man. Has potential at some point to be a one-through-five switch player. Moves his feet really well. Not stiff at all. Can get down into a stance and slide. Uses his length well too by extending his arms out. Will sometimes give up a wider angle on drives knowing that he has ridiculous recovery speed to go up and block shots or contest. But can also cut off angles against average athlete guards. Jones profiles best on defense as a switchable defender.

Summary
One of the real swing players in this class. Jones has obvious, incredible upside. He has potential to be a genuine shot creator as a scorer from the perimeter at the center position. He switches and has unbelievable athleticism on both ends of the floor. Shooting and perimeter defense are two of the most important skills bigs can have in the modern NBA, and Jones brings them to the table. But the glue to his game isn’t quite there yet, and it’s going to take a couple of patient years for an NBA franchise to get the most out of him. If a team is willing to take some time with him and really hone in on defensive rotations while continuing to build his offensive skill set, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Jones can turn into a top-10 starting center in the league. But if a team tries to rush him into the lineup, there will probably be some disappointment. With patience, Jones has upside that few can match in this class.