Officially Waived: The Kai Jones Thread

[BigSlam]

Go for it.

[BigSlam]

Watch on YouTube

[MPM]

I love Kai on paper/tape, but boy does he feel like a honey trap.

[BigSlam]

I love Kai on paper/tape, but boy does he feel like a honey trap.

I'm in that boat as well.

Plus, every time I find myself getting excited about him, this little voice in the back of my head whispers:

"Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas..."

[MPM]

I love Kai on paper/tape, but boy does he feel like a honey trap.

I'm in that boat as well.

Plus, every time I find myself getting excited about him, this little voice in the back of my head whispers:

"Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas..."

The TT shudders are very real.

[BigSlam]

I love Kai on paper/tape, but boy does he feel like a honey trap.

I'm in that boat as well.

Plus, every time I find myself getting excited about him, this little voice in the back of my head whispers:

"Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas..."

The TT shudders are very real.

I think I read somewhere that Jones only started playing basketball at the age of 15 or 16 though, so maybe some of the refinement he is currently missing will come with high end NBA coaching and development?

[MPM]

I'm in that boat as well.

Plus, every time I find myself getting excited about him, this little voice in the back of my head whispers:

"Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas...Tyrus Thomas..."

The TT shudders are very real.

I think I read somewhere that Jones only started playing basketball at the age of 15 or 16 though, so maybe some of the refinement he is currently missing will come with high end NBA coaching and development?

Believe me, by the time the draft rolls around I'll be entirely sold on him, super excited we draft him, and kicking myself down the road for doing it. It's a pattern. Hope springs eternal, however - I was dead wrong about LaMelo which may mean I'm entering a phase of life in which I'm increasingly wrong about everything - so, bring on Kai I guess?

[amcoolio]

For me, I don't think he's good enough at 11, maybe if we trade back and pick up an extra first. Everywhere I read its "has below average hands, has trouble catching passes" and I just don't think I can handle another player like that, sorry. I think I prefer Jackson over Jones at 11 if we go big. I'd rather trade the 11 for Jaxson Hayes over Jones.

Is drafting Kai Jones a better plan than just going after a midtier center in free agency?

[BigSlam]

I 100% prefer Jones over Jackson.

Jackson has next to zero offensive game, seems very undersized and might already be at his ceiling. He really is a net negative on the offensive end. Might as well just sign Noel.

At least Jones has shown the ability to shoot the 3 ball and do some different things on the offensive end.

My biggest concern with Jones at this early stage is how low he gets in the paint when he has the ball - he almost crouches down. And he does that little low down dribble he often takes when he is in the paint.

Makes me wonder if he is going to get his shot blocked a LOT when catching in the paint and trying to score.

[BigSlam]

Seems like a nice kid with excellent self awareness:

Watch on YouTube

[JMAC3]

Just turned 20 even though he is a sophomore. Pretty much exactly what you are looking for in a modern NBA big.

Great combine for him, probably solidified himself as the 2nd big off the board in my mind.

Really the biggest thing that knocks him in my book as of today is just lack of production in college as he only averaged 8.8 ppg and 4.8 rebounds off the bench.

Watching his tape you could of told me he averaged 18/10 and I would of believed it.

[wilson115]

Dean's pretty harsh on him:

At a glance Jones has appeal as an athletic 6’11” who can finish lobs, and has a passable outside shot making 38.2% from 3 an 68.9% FT as a sophomore for Texas.

But if you give him a closer look, you run into the enigma that he doesn’t know how to play basketball and it is not clear how he fits into a NBA lineup. He has the skill level of a center but plays more like a big wing defensively, which is not ideal.

Defensively he cannot really play center. His 5.3% blk rate is more like a PF than an NBA rim protector, and his 8.9%/14.4% rebound rates are more like a SF.

Even if he can make an open shot he is going to depress an NBA offense with his lack of creation.

If we are being optimistic, his steal rate is a bit of a saving grace, and maybe he can be some sort of wing stopper defensively who can squeak by as a small 5 on occasions. But his ball skills are just so so bad for a guy who is not a full time center on D, he simply does not belong in round 1.

Draft Instead: Alperen Sengun (#16 ESPN), Usman Garuba (#17 ESPN), JT Thor (#27 ESPN), Day’Ron Sharpe (#31 ESPN), Charles Bassey (#35 ESPN), Santi Aldama (UDFA)

https://deanondraft.com/2021/07/04/capture-the-flag-which-prospects-are-riskiest-to-draft-in-2021/

[amcoolio]

Ultimate boom or bust pick, and I would not spend the 11th pick on him, that's insanity. Not a fan of Sengun but at least Sengun has actual skills. Kai Jones could barely contribute in the NCAA with his size and length.

[JMAC3]

Ultimate boom or bust pick, and I would not spend the 11th pick on him, that's insanity. Not a fan of Sengun but at least Sengun has actual skills. Kai Jones could barely contribute in the NCAA with his size and length.

The main reason Kai is so high on my list is because of LaMelo. I have 100% faith that LaMelo would get the most out of his skillset and turn him into a Capela type player who catches lobs and is a versatile big man defender who can hold his own on the perimeter. People forget Capela barely played his first 1.5 seasons in the league.

Also, I think Kai has showcased enough shooting touch and fluidity that he could be more than just a lob catcher someday, and that is why I think at 11 he has some staying power with me.

[JDR720]

You can find guys like him in the 2nd round.

How many raw, skinny bigs taken in the lottery recently have actually been good? Those are the most likely players to bust, by far. Not skilled enough to do anything on offense, and too thin to be a plus defender against other bigs.

[amcoolio]

Is he going to be better than Jaxson Hayes? Serious question

Wouldn't you rather have Hayes right now than Kai?

[GoBobs]

Just turned 20 even though he is a sophomore. Pretty much exactly what you are looking for in a modern NBA big.

Great combine for him, probably solidified himself as the 2nd big off the board in my mind.

Really the biggest thing that knocks him in my book as of today is just lack of production in college as he only averaged 8.8 ppg and 4.8 rebounds off the bench.

Watching his tape you could of told me he averaged 18/10 and I would of believed it.

Yeah the production scares me. There are to many guys out there that look like tarzan and play like Jane. I will take the production of sengun if he is around when we pick. Jones needs to stay in school and work on his craft

[JMAC3]

Texas was a pretty good team this season. Kai, Greg Brown and Jericho Sims are all bigs that are about to get drafted and none dominated the touches.

Kai was super efficient with the touches he did get tho and he flashed a lot of raw talent.

[BigSlam]

If Moody is my “safe bet” pick at #11 then Jones is my “swing for the fences” pick at #11.

He’s raw, but when he has flashed he has flashed in a HUGE way and brings absolutely everything you want in a 5.

And if he hits his ceiling he could be an unbelievable fit with LaMelo and the perfect modern 5.

[amcoolio]

Tjarks is convincing me on Jones.

https://www.theringer.com/2021/7/15/22576835/meet-the-most-interesting-sleeper-in-the-2021-nba-draft

I'd hate to miss out on one of the shooting guards we also sorely need, but I can talk myself into Jones now at 11