arbsn wrote:Pjones is such an enigma a big man with guard skills...Do we really want that?
Personally I don't think he's a big man, he's a wing... if he checks out as having the elite athleticism/speed they say he does (it certainly looks like it), and projects to be able to defend on the perimeter, his upside is tremendous at the 3. I think the fact that he was played out of position this year has hurt his stock (which could be to our benefit). Teams seem to want to turn him into some sort of super-skilled big man because of his size, but I think his true position is on the wings. Here's a writeup of him from '09:
Strengths: Has incredible length for a wing player – has a 7’2.5” wingspan ... His NBA position is definitely on the wing as his perimeter skills - notably ball handling, lateral foot speed and athleticism - are phenomenal ... He can shoot the three, or pull up off the dribble, but is much better when attacking the basket ... He loves to work from the top of the key and take his man off the dribble, getting into the lane where he can use his size ... He has a tendency to take on two and three defenders at a time but is great at initiating contact and squaring up for one-handed runners and floaters to finish near the rim, when he's not throwing down highlight dunks ... Jones shows an aggressiveness and emotional fire that scouts like to see in players with this much potential.
Weaknesses: He sometimes tries to do too much, which at the high school level is completely fine because of his talent ... However, as he grows up and plays at higher levels he will have to learn to work with his teammates and improve his basketball IQ in this area if he expects to be a star ... He is special with the ball in his hands but isn't all that helpful when that's not the case ... His length makes him intimidating on defense but he doesn't give maximum effort on this side of the ball ... He will often coast on plays, standing on the three-point line waiting for the ball ... He can shoot from the perimeter but isn’t yet consistent ... Is expected to play a good deal in the post in his senior year at Duncanville, so his development on the perimeter (his long term position is small forward) will likely come in college ...
Notes: At the 2009 AAU Tournament when asked who was better, Tony Wroten or Perry Jones, University of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said, "Perry is the best pro prospect here [in Vegas]."
Joshua Motenko 7/26/09
Sounds like the elite scouts are all over this article now.
. A frontcourt of T-Jones-Kanter-Harrelson would've been pretty dominant in the post.
