NBA Draft Profile: Perry Jones III

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: May 4, 2012

By: Kels Dayton

PERRY JONES III

6-11, 235 lbs.

Hometown: Duncanville, TX

School: Baylor

Class: Sophomore

AP Photo/ Tony Gutierrez

STRENGTHS: Jones III is a freakish athlete who has the ability to do just about anything on a basketball court. Had the NBA not instituted an age limit for the draft a few years ago, Jones may have been the No. 1 overall selection coming out of high school in 2010.

Unlike many of his athletic counterparts who will be taken purely based on “potential” and without any real results, Jones III has proven he’s got serious game. He can score in a variety of ways, whether it’s facing up and attacking the basket, soaring through the lane like a 2-guard, or knocking down the three with a silky, satin-smooth touch.

Jones is polished in the half-court, and quick and athletic enough to get out and run. He’s also a fine ballhandler and plays like a guard in transition. Jones is a good defender, and versatile enough to play the 3 or the 4 in the NBA. Think of the matchup problems PJ3 could create on offense as a 6-11 small forward at the next level. That’s why scouts need a bib when they watch this kid.

WEAKNESSES: For all of his physical gifts, Jones III was never as dominant as he should have been at Baylor. He averaged just 14 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season and was often underwhelming against top competition, outside of a 31-point outburst against Kansas State in early March. Jones scored just nine points combined in the Bears’ first two NCAA Tournament games against South Dakota State and Colorado, shooting 4-for-14 in the two games. No lottery pick should put up just 14 shots in the 60 biggest minutes of his team’s season, but Jones had a knack for disappearing at times in college. In a perfect world, Perry Jones III would be heading back to Waco for his junior season, looking to bulk up and work on increasing his motor and becoming the go-to-guy in an offense. But that’s not the way things work anymore.

BOTTOM LINE: He’s not JaVale McGee or Kwame Brown, lottery picks who were taken solely on what Hubie Brown liked to call “tremendous upside potential.” Perry Jones III has proven that he’s got the skills necessary to excel in the NBA. He’s far more polished than prospects such as Andre Drummond of Connecticut or John Henson of North Carolina, and even has more offensive game than certain- No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis right now. What Jones must focus on is increasing his intensity, playing with reckless abandon and bringing it every night. If he does that, PJ3 will be a household nickname among basketball fans.

Video by: Jared Jones @elitehoopsaau