Tre Jones is the perfect level guard on the Spurs roster. Is he an ideal participant? No. Is he a high quality guard who does a number of issues effectively? Sure. With no main upgrades coming over the offseason, and an unsure guard rotation behind him, it appears practically sure he would be the starter once more subsequent season.
Jones took on the function of the San Antonio Spurs start line guard final season and had the perfect 12 months of his younger profession. He averaged 12.9 factors, 6.6 assists and 1.3 steals whereas taking pictures 45.9% from the sphere. He was eighth within the NBA in help to turnover ration, scoring 4 assists to his one turnover. He lead the crew in wins shared (an estimate of the variety of wins contributed by a participant.) He had a excessive steal proportion (2.1%,) and was one of many Spurs leaders in defensive wins shared.
Almost all the information would counsel that Jones is a productive NBA participant. There is only one defect that holds him again from being considered as a key piece of the Spurs younger core – his 28.5% three-point proportion.
Jones isn’t a quantity shooter. He solely took 2.3 a sport (he shot 158 threes and made 45.) The Spurs don’t want him to be. They’ve loads of guys like Devin Vassell, Zach Collins, and Doug McDermott to take five-to-six threes an evening. They only want him to be a menace from deep. He has not been that in his first three NBA seasons.
With new taking pictures coach, Jimmy Barron, can Jones enhance as a 3 level shooter beneath new tutelage? Barron has been credited with bettering the bounce photographs of Kevin Love, Jett Howard and Derrick Rose. He emphasizes fluidity, which is one thing that Jones’ jumper may use.
I watched all 158 of Jones’ three-point makes an attempt final season, and was stunned with what I discovered. When Jones is moving into a 3, or taking pictures them off of the dribble, he appears to be like fluid and assured taking pictures the rock. He solely shot 9-39 on three-point dribble jumpers, however anecdotally he appears to be like smoother on these makes an attempt.
Now distinction these photographs along with his spot up appears to be like. Jones ball has a wierd path that begins along with his load-up. He nearly all the time brings the ball to the left aspect of his physique, then brings the ball as much as the correct for his launch. Typically he’ll catch the ball on the correct aspect, deliver it to his left on the load, and shoot it again on the correct aspect, making an nearly round movement earlier than he releases. This odd path earlier than launch makes his shot look stiff. (I’ve slowed down his collect to provide you a greater look of his load-up)
I’m no shot physician, however for those who watch different efficient NBA shooters, usually the trail from load-up to launch is straight, not curved, or diagonal. Streamlining his shot and making it a bit extra fluid may assist him enhance his shot from vary. It is going to be fascinating to see what options Jones and Barron work on collectively to assist him increase his proportion.
It appear unrealistic for Jones to turn out to be an above league common three-point shooter (36.1%) within the span of a 12 months. What about 32%-34%? Would that leap open up his offensive sport? Is it practical?
This can be a lazy comparability, however I appeared to his brother, Tyus Jones, to see what sort of progress is practical. In restricted taking part in time Tyus shot beneath 36% in his first fours seasons. In his first season taking pictures over 130 makes an attempt (as shut as I may get to the quantity of threes Tre shot this 12 months) he hit 32% of them. The following season, he took 200 threes and made 39%. Simply final season, Tyus made 37% of his threes on 326 makes an attempt. He went from inconsistent shooter, to close knock down over the span of his eight-year profession.
Tre goes from 28%, slightly than 32%, and didn’t shoot the ball in addition to his brother on restricted makes an attempt. There’s proof that he may turn out to be a greater shooter over time, however a 7& bounce like his brother really feel unrealistic. Simply seeing him progress by 4 proportion factors could be good progress. If he can shoot above 30% this season, that looks as if a win.
Jones has an actual alternative in entrance of him this season to determine himself as a robust connector alongside younger scorers like Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson and Vassell. To raise his sport to a different stage, he must be respectable from deep. That can assist open up the ground for the Spurs shot creators. He’s one in all Barron’s first tasks in San Antonio. Time will inform if these two will discover the reply to Jones taking pictures woes.
