NBA Draft Profile: Terrence Jones

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: June 10, 2012

By: Kels Dayton

TERRENCE JONES

6-9, 252 lbs.

Hometown: Portland, OR

School: Kentucky

Class: Sophomore

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STRENGTHS: It’s kind of hard to believe that Jones was just a sophomore last season at Kentucky. A powerful small forward prospect, Jones has great size and athleticism, an explosive first-step, and a terrific finishing ability. He’s a tough offensive rebounder (averaged 7 boards per game) and can guard just about any position on the floor. He’s also got good lateral quickness and a knack for keeping plays alive.

WEAKNESSES: Jones disappeared at times in games and could have been a more dominant offensive force. All of the talent is there, but it seems that his personality doesn’t allow him to take over games. He was benched for much of the second half in Kentucky’s only regular-season loss to Indiana and finished with just 4 points and 1 rebound in 28 minutes. Some scouts believe that he has a little bit of an attitude problem. He’s also a potential tweener at 3 or 4, because he’s not a good long-range shooter, although he may be better suited to play the 3.

BOTTOM LINE: There’s no question that Jones is talented enough to be a key rotation player in the NBA. The question is going to be, where do you play him? He’s probably best suited to play the 3, but can be a force down low– just ask Kansas’ Thomas Robinson. Wherever you play him, he’s going to rebound and defend. That means he’s going to get good minutes at the next level.