Kai Jones

[amcoolio]

I will be shocked if we take him, Kupchak has never picked this type of guy

I think he has a Malik Monk trajectory where he barely plays for the entirety of his rookie contract and then Charlotte would have wasted a 11 pick and 4 years of development for nothing

[BostonCouchGM]

I will be shocked if we take him, Kupchak has never picked this type of guy

I think he has a Malik Monk trajectory where he barely plays for the entirety of his rookie contract and then Charlotte would have wasted a 11 pick and 4 years of development for nothing

I think the need is so great, for a 5 that can also step out and guard the perimeter who can finish above the rim, that he makes sense for you even though it’s way too high for him talent wise. You’ve got high level talent 1-4 and don’t need much more from Jones. He just needs to be a net positive and glue guy.

[kobyz]

Reminds me Jan Vesely

[BostonCouchGM]

There's an undeniable resemblance to Giannis with Jones. He has the same type of length, athleticism, body and way he moves. He's much older than Giannis was so it's very doubtful he ever approaches him as a player but it does suggest he has some serious upside. That said, Sims, who they passed on 4 or 5 times, will imho have as much impact as Jones but was taken late 2nd. It's terrible draft management and an example of why certain franchises continue to struggle. This isn't on the same level as taking Monk over Mitchell and Bam because Jones will fill the same role Sims would have, but still. They could have used that mid 1st pick on Jalen Johnson and still addressed their need for a big by taking Sims in the 2nd. Imagine that, Bouknight, Johnson and Sims added to Ball, Hayward and Bridges?

[Nuntius]

There's an undeniable resemblance to Giannis with Jones. He has the same type of length, athleticism, body and way he moves. He's much older than Giannis was so it's very doubtful he ever approaches him as a player but it does suggest he has some serious upside. That said, Sims, who they passed on 4 or 5 times, will imho have as much impact as Jones but was taken late 2nd. It's terrible draft management and an example of why certain franchises continue to struggle. This isn't on the same level as taking Monk over Mitchell and Bam because Jones will fill the same role Sims would have, but still. They could have used that mid 1st pick on Jalen Johnson and still addressed their need for a big by taking Sims in the 2nd. Imagine that, Bouknight, Johnson and Sims added to Ball, Hayward and Bridges?

Sims is older and has next to zero ball skills. Sims does have great athleticism and that could allow him to be a triple R (rim runner, rebounder, rim protector) but Jones has the potential to be more than that.

[BostonCouchGM]

There's an undeniable resemblance to Giannis with Jones. He has the same type of length, athleticism, body and way he moves. He's much older than Giannis was so it's very doubtful he ever approaches him as a player but it does suggest he has some serious upside. That said, Sims, who they passed on 4 or 5 times, will imho have as much impact as Jones but was taken late 2nd. It's terrible draft management and an example of why certain franchises continue to struggle. This isn't on the same level as taking Monk over Mitchell and Bam because Jones will fill the same role Sims would have, but still. They could have used that mid 1st pick on Jalen Johnson and still addressed their need for a big by taking Sims in the 2nd. Imagine that, Bouknight, Johnson and Sims added to Ball, Hayward and Bridges?

Sims is older and has next to zero ball skills. Sims does have great athleticism and that could allow him to be a triple R (rim runner, rebounder, rim protector) but Jones has the potential to be more than that.

yes he's older but he stayed in college believing he'd get more run but they kept bringing in guys they clearly prioritized over him. He actually does have ball skills and high BBIQ. Not so much the ability to put the ball on the floor and take guys off the dribble like Jones, but the ability to pass and not panic while dribbling which is all you should expect from a 6'10" big. Jones definitely has a better handle and higher upside. However, Sims seems to know his role and thrives in it whereas I see Jones often trying to bite off more than he can chew. I think they both end up high level starting centers

[Nuntius]

There's an undeniable resemblance to Giannis with Jones. He has the same type of length, athleticism, body and way he moves. He's much older than Giannis was so it's very doubtful he ever approaches him as a player but it does suggest he has some serious upside. That said, Sims, who they passed on 4 or 5 times, will imho have as much impact as Jones but was taken late 2nd. It's terrible draft management and an example of why certain franchises continue to struggle. This isn't on the same level as taking Monk over Mitchell and Bam because Jones will fill the same role Sims would have, but still. They could have used that mid 1st pick on Jalen Johnson and still addressed their need for a big by taking Sims in the 2nd. Imagine that, Bouknight, Johnson and Sims added to Ball, Hayward and Bridges?

Sims is older and has next to zero ball skills. Sims does have great athleticism and that could allow him to be a triple R (rim runner, rebounder, rim protector) but Jones has the potential to be more than that.

yes he's older but he stayed in college believing he'd get more run but they kept bringing in guys they clearly prioritized over him. He actually does have ball skills and high BBIQ. Not so much the ability to put the ball on the floor and take guys off the dribble like Jones, but the ability to pass and not panic while dribbling which is all you should expect from a 6'10" big. Jones definitely has a better handle and higher upside. However, Sims seems to know his role and thrives in it whereas I see Jones often trying to bite off more than he can chew. I think they both end up high level starting centers

Jones is definitely much more raw. No argument against that. As for Sims, he does know his role and my guess is that he will be able to play that role at the next level but that role is a pretty limited one. It is the Mitchell Robinson role which I don't know if I would call a high level starting role, unless they are playing next to a great passer.

[KembaWalker]

he seems more like a little more modern Stromile Swift or Hakim Warrick (ie he has some rudimentary 3pt ability that those guys never bothered with) than Giannis from what I've seen. he can catch a body on a dunk but i dont know what else he does, doesnt seem like a very good rebounder and i'm nervous of his bbiq seeing him multiple times be a total black hole in the paint when he does get an OREB, pump faking into 3 guys in the paint until he just turns it over. and he has that slight hesitation in all his passes/ball movement like he's unsure what exactly is going on in the half court offense when the ball rotates to him that makes me think the game doesn't come very easy to him at all

i'm sure LaMelo will get him on sportscenter a few times a year but im skeptical of him becoming a good basketball player

[BlazersBroncos]

Stromile is a great comparison for Kai. Which is going to ruffle some feathers, but a taller Stromile Swift playing with potentially the best alley-oop passer in the game could be pretty good. Think he is a utility 5th option starter at best though, which isnt really bad value considering where he was picked.

[walk with me]

Taj Gibson

[Lwcasu]

The only comparison I see to Stromile is dunking ability. Kai can shoot the 3 and dribbles the ball pretty well for a guy his size.

[KembaWalker]

The only comparison I see to Stromile is dunking ability. Kai can shoot the 3 and dribbles the ball pretty well for a guy his size.

he hasn't really shown that he can do anything like that anywhere near a suitable NBA level, nor can he post up, set good screens, pass, play defense outside of weak side shot blocking, mid range, rebound, or basically anything
he's literally just a pogo stick that dunks, his most advanced play I've seen far in summer league is lower his head and driving in a straight line and dunking. i don't think some of my fellow Hornets fans are really grasping how raw this dude is.

saying Kai can shoot the 3 is like saying Vernon Carey Jr can shoot the 3 , just cause he hit a handful at a decent % in a couple dozen college games doesnt mean he is an NBA shooting threat.

[BostonCouchGM]

Swift is an apt comparison. He's like a bull in a China shop. However, he flashes which is all anyone should be concerned with. You can't teach size/length/athleticsim and his upside is immense. Whether he gets there is another thing entirely. I think if the Hornets reign him in and don't allow him to do too much, he raises their talent floor enough that they should be a playoff team provided Hayward and Ball stay healthy. They're going to be real fun to watch