Perry Jones III Given a Fresh Start with the Boston Celtics

http://clnsradio.com/boston-celtics-news/item/12489-celtics-perry-jones-iii



Perry Jones III Given a Fresh Start with the Boston Celtics
Written by  Drew Kennedy







Perry Jones III was disapointing for the Oklahoma City Thunder despite his incredible length and athleticism. He will be looking to make an impact for the Boston Celtics this season.

The Boston Celtics acquired 6’11” small forward Perry Jones from the Oklahoma City Thunder last month on July 14th. Danny Ainge maneuvered this trade to receive yet another asset that has potential, whether it be on the parquet floor or in terms of trade value. His most evident feature is his pure athleticism and ability to score at a high percentage near the rim.

PJ3 was a dunking machine while he played two seasons for the Baylor Bears. His highlight film is filled with big slams and emphatic alley-oops. This is reflected in his high shooting percentage, which was .525 in his college career. Although his 3-point percentage was a less-impressive .250, he still has the ability to shoot the 3-ball.

Jones was selected 28th overall three years ago by Oklahoma City. Interestingly, he was almost selected by the Celtics, who picked Fab Melo instead, and we all know how that worked out. Although he was able to show off his talent in his college years, he hasn’t quite gotten the same opportunity with the Thunder. He averaged 12 minutes a game while only averaging 3 points.

The biggest opportunity that he received while playing for OKC was when he started in lieu of the injured Kevin Durant early last season. In three games, he scored 32, 20, and 16 points. His opportunity was cut short when he badly bruised a bone in his leg. This was a flash of his potential and what he can potentially offer the Celtics, or another team.

Jones is reminiscent of his previous teammate, Kevin Durant, given his long and lanky stature and his 6’11" frame, except he actually has 2 inches on KD. It can only help that he played behind one of the best players in the history of the game for three years.

When asked about what he learned from playing behind Durant, he said, “Work hard every day, pay attention to detail. Those guys helped me to work hard every day, before and after practice. I learned a lot from superstars. You learn a lot.”

Celtics fans will be looking forward to seeing what he can offer to the team, and he should be eager to make a name for himself, given his disappointing first three seasons. With the young and newly put-together team he’s landed on, he should get a golden opportunity to prove why he belongs in the NBA.



bob
MY NOTE:  While it is all about the team and how the pieces fit together, and I can't wait to see how Brad does it this year, the most interesting mano-a-mano camp battle for me is the one between James Young and Perry Jones III.  Aside from the fact that I am not a fan of Young's, this kid has a body and athleticism we have not had on the team for a while.  He can run, he can jump, he can penetrate and he is long, long, long.  Draftexpress has him listed, in 2012 when he came out, as 6'11 1/4" in sneakers, 235#, 7'1 3/4" wingspan.  They also gave him a 8'11" standing reach, a 33" vertical and a 38.5" max vertical.  In 2012, he was 20 years old (he's going to be 24 next month).  He could have grown even a bit more since then, but they don't generally give out those measurements after the Combine.

Excellent upside, he started for Durant while he was out and did VERY well, and zero downside since OKC paid us to take him.  He can also play multiple positions which Brad loves.



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For the costs of acquiring Jones (none), he is going to be the surprise of the off season for the Cs and perhaps for the entire league.

Wow! This sounds like a Danny pick of old! Can't wait to hear about this kid this year in Boston!

db