Of all the NBA Draft prospects who’ve seen their stock slide this year, Perry Jones III from Baylor could be the one hurting the most. Or at least the one who’s seen his draft stock slide the most. Despite the success of the Baylor Bears this past college basketball season, Jones stock didn’t rise it fell from the top 5, lottery lock down to mid to late first round.
Mostly, it’s on-court concerns as Jones just has not lived up to the hype and potential. He’s been a lot more potential than substance and his last season at Baylor was a huge disappointment.
Jones was asked if going through the combine has helped crystallize any supposed misconceptions about his game.
“I hope so, I don’t know what they’re thinking, but hopefully watching them work out helps them clear up some things,” Jones said at the NBA Combine.
During the media session he was asked what he believes the biggest misperception is about his game.
“I don’t have a motor, I’m too laid back, I don’t have an energy, I get down on myself when I miss shots,” he responded.
“I think I showed a lot more energy than they expected. It’s something that’s not a strength, but I can make it a strength. I can work on it this summer, instead of getting down on myself after missing a shot move on to the next one. That’s what the great players do, they miss a shot, keep shooting. They have confidence in themselves. And I believe my confidence has grown since I left school.”
Here’s where we currently have Jones in our latest mock draft
16. Houston(from NY)- Perry Jones, F, Baylor, 6-11, So.
With their second first rounder, the Rockets can take a risk and end PJ3’s slide. He would add some needed versatility to their roster and could be a steal if he ever figures it out.
Go here for more on Perry Jones
And here’s the player comparison from our in-depth scouting report on Jones:
Player Comparison: Anthony Randolph. Potential, potential, potential. That is all we hear about when people discuss Jones and we keep waiting for Randolph to cash in on his potential as well. Both players are tall, lengthy, thin and athletically gifted, but still raw in their all-around game. Randolph has not reached that potential yet, but if Jones does, he can be a very special player.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, MSN, Walter Football and Yardbarker
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too