Image via WikipediaDeemed by many scouts as the prospect with the highest upside of any player in college basketball, Perry Jones of Baylor has had an up and down freshman season that appears to be taking a turn for the better at the moment.
Standing 6-11, with long arms, an excellent frame and incredible fluidity for a player his size, Jones is a rare physical specimen by any standard. When motivated, he runs the floor about as well as any big man in this draft and is capable of beating his man off the dribble with a terrific first step. He has great hands and an exceptionally soft touch, which makes him an incredible finisher around the basket. (His length and highlight reel-caliber explosiveness help in this regard as well.
Offensively, Jones gets his touches in a variety of ways. An extremely reliable target for his teammates to throw drive-and-dish passes to, he has great potential as a pick-and-roll finisher thanks to his hands, touch and leaping ability. He is also a solid (although clearly not a dominating) presence on the offensive glass for the same reason -- he has the ability to pogo stick off the ground multiple times before his opponents can react.
Baylor has been increasingly utilizing him in post-up situations, an area in which he's been relatively effective. Jones doesn't possess the girth to establish great position against the strongest collegiate big men he'll match up against (such as the Morris twins at Kansas), but with his decent footwork, outstanding touch and phenomenal extension around the rim, he's able to do some very interesting things at this level, especially when he's being aggressive. Moving forward, it's paramount for him to add strength to his promising, yet currently underdeveloped frame.
Another area in which Jones has shown promise in is with his jump shot. He has excellent shooting mechanics and solid range out to about 18 feet, even showing flashes of being able to convert shots off the dribble at times. He should be able to develop into a solid pick-and-pop option in time, although he's definitely not as consistent as he needs to be just yet – he's only made 18 of 55 jumpers this season, or 33%.
Where Jones might be at his best a few years down the road is as an isolation threat from the high post. With his solid ball-handling skills and devastating first step, he has the ability to beat most big men off the dribble with ease, something that will only become more pronounced with the NBA's superior spacing. Jones doesn't see many opportunities of this fashion at the moment and he's been fairly erratic when he does, which often results in turnovers.
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