With the NBA season still on pause and it's status up in the air, the next best thing to direct our attention to is the NBA draft. Following the series that my colleague, David Esser, started with his Jalen Smith analysis, next up in PhillySportsNetwork's prospect chain is Tre Jones.
Tre Jones- Duke University
The Bio:
Tre Jones is a 6' 3", 185 lbs sophomore out of Duke University. The 20-year-old guard is a two-year starter for the Blue Devils. Currently, the experts have Jones as a late first-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
The numbers:
Season
GP
GS
MIN
FG
FG%
3PT
3P%
FT
FT%
OR
DR
REB
AST
BLK
STL
PF
TO
PTS
2018-2019
36
36
34.2
3.7-8.9
41.4
0.8-2.9
26.2
1.3-1.7
75.8
0.9
2.9
3.8
5.3
0.2
1.9
1.6
1.5
9.4
2019-2020
29
29
35.4
5.6-13.2
42.3
1.3-3.7
36.1
3.7-4.8
77.1
0.7
3.6
4.2
6.4
0.3
1.8
1.8
2.7
16.2
Stats courtesy of https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4395626/tre-jones
Jones's numbers saw a leap during his sophomore season after the likings of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish all declared to go to the big leagues. The point guard started in all 65 of his appearances with the Blue Devils. His 16.2 points per game during this most recent season were tied sixth in the ACC. In 2019-2020, he also averaged the eighth-most minutes per game (36) in his conference, showing his durability.
These honors won him the ACC player of the year award, along with some high praise from Coach K, being called "one of the greatest defensive players in Duke's history."
Strengths:
Passing instincts:
Tre Jones has a natural passing ability that is out of this world. Comparable to Ben Simmons, Jones sees lanes before they even open up. His ability to pass on the move and find the guy wide open on the opposite corners shows that he is NBA ready in that aspect. His decision making with the ball is uncanny, allowing his court vision to be displayed each time he carries the ball up the court. As a plus, his lobbing ability is just fun to watch:
https://youtu.be/x_X4Jq68wl8
Cutting Into the Paint:
The 20-year-old knows how to cut his angles wonderfully. Not only does he know how to shift his body weight when defending, however, but he does it moving off the ball as well. Offensively, Jones plays angles well when making his run to the rim, and closes out defenders to make his finishes easily. As long as he maintains that edge with his speed, there aren't many people stopping him. His craftiness alone makes him a prospect that could be fun to watch in the NBA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsmxqyh2n3s
Defense
There's one aspect of a player's game that the Sixers love, and that's the ability to play defense. Jones averaged 1.6 steals per game in his most recent season, and his quick hands are the reason why. He has a high basketball IQ, allowing him to read the ball handler and every move he's about to make. He showed that he can guard anyone one-on-one, allowing his teammates comfort in their own end. Tre's 6'4 wingspan and quick feet allow him to cover a lot of ground.
https://twitter.com/Ricky_amandeo8/status/1248346149095948293?s=20
Weaknesses:
Physicality/ Finishing:
Tre stands at 6'3, 185 pounds, making him slightly smaller than some of his opponents. Because of this, Jones has a tendency to avoid contact. As mentioned earlier, he plays his angles well, allowing him to cut off his defenders easily en route to the hoop. However, if he doesn't get that edge, Jones occasionally misses those easier layups, and by a pretty far margin. This led to him shooting a mere 42.6% at the rim, as he doesn't explode very well with opponents close by.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1248348467602259973
