Perry Jones III

Strengths

Right-handed… Don't let his disappointing senior year of high school fool you- Jones might have the highest ceiling out of all of the 2011 NBA Draft prospects. He is a tremendous athlete with incredible upside… Since the high school season ended, he has only been working harder. He had been adding muscle to his lengthy frame and developing his perimeter skills. He has always had a strong game 12' and inside, but Jones has been shooting 100s of shots a day, perfecting his shooting mechanics and extending his range out to the collegiate 3-point line… Jones will thrive in Baylor's high-octane offense. He loves to get out in transition and can beat almost any big man down the floor with his long strides and quick steps. As he trails in transition, he can finish the ball anywhere in the paint as he explodes off the ground and throws down a punishing dunk. He also has the ability to rebound and put the ball down on the deck and lead the break himself. He has shown some nice ball-handling skills and court awareness to weave trough defenders and find an open teammate… He has the skills to operate in the low blocks or in the high post. We've seen his ability to turn around and knock down a mid-range shot or draw the defense and kick to an open perimeter player. In the low post, he has shown quick and effective spin moves and a lethal drop step that leaves the defender contained behind him, leaving the rim wide open. While he has all of this footwork, he doesn't always use it because of his lack of lower body strength and inconsistency scoring the ball. That's most likely why Jones prefers to face-up and take his man off of the dribble… Defensively, he is an aggressive shot-blocker, especially as a weak-side defender.

Weaknesses

During his high school career, Jones too often relied on his athleticism and shot-blocking as the focal point of his defense. However, against stronger and tougher big men, ala his matchup with Jared Sullinger, he was backed-down and dominated in one-on-one situations. He needs to body his defender up and contain him instead of playing for a shot-blocking situation… As skilled as Jones may be, he has shown some poor decision-making when rebounding the ball and pushing it in transition. Without monitoring the defense, he has put the ball down on the floor and began to push the break right away. Guards that have looked to pressure him have stripped him of possession or forced him into a poor pass before he can lead the offense… He needs to continue to add strength to his frame, particularly to his lower body. That will make working for low-post position even easier and he can take advantage of his footwork in the post… Again, while rebounding the ball, Jones relies on his athleticism and leaping ability to corral the ball. He does not box out effectively all the time…