Spurs NBA Draft: Kai Jones provides an answer at center

The NBA Draft is now less than two months away and with recent coin-flips landing against the San Antonio Spurs, they'll likely be picking number 12 overall in the first round. One option they'll have is someone in the state.

Texas big man Kai Jones is new to the sport of basketball. He's played only five years of organized hoops, but early in his young career, he's drawn worthy comparisons to Grizzlies ascending star Jaren Jackson Jr. as well as Longhorns alum, Myles Turner.

Sitting in the back end of the lottery, San Antonio must make the preverbal chicken salad out of a less-than-favorable draft position.

There are numerous ways San Antonio can go with their first-round selection come July 29. Luckily for them, they'll have the pickings of selecting day-one contributors or three-year projects. For example, two-way hybrid Moses Moody from Arkansas gives you a prospect who's ready to contribute from day one.

Another route for the Alamo City could include 3-point marksmen Corey Kispert, who also can contribute from the moment he walks the stage donning a silver and black hat. Or San Antonio can go the foreign route, which they're most known for, as various credentialed media sites have slotted Turkish big man Alperen Sengun as a prototypical Spurs prospect.

Nonetheless, the San Antonio Spurs have endless options with their first-round pick, but few make as much sense as selecting Texas big Kai Jones. Jones is ready to contribute in a limited role from day one, filling in as your prototypical rim-running big who can flourish in the halfcourt as he lives in the dunker spot, while also providing a unique ability to defend fours and small fives on the perimeter.

But for a team that's on the edge of being one of the youngest in basketball, does selecting a young player, in terms of experience and age, make sense, especially considering they'll be paying Jakob Poeltl for the next two seasons?

What does Kai Jones have to offer the San Antonio Spurs?

First of all, Kai brings an infectious work ethic that coaches, executives, and fans will naturally gravitate toward supporting. Jones is still new to the sport of basketball, but you couldn't tell that if you watched him in an empty gym.

Waking up at 4:45 am every day in high school to train after seeing little playing time as a freshman, former University of Texas Coach Shaka Smart claimed that Jones "had the best work ethic of any big man he coached."

As it pertains to a foundation for success, one thing is for certain. Jones will put in the work to maximize his potential as an NBA player. His offensive on-court game is polished in the limited portions of his game that we've seen. Jones is excellent in transition and excels in the halfcourt when positioned in the dunker spot, with athleticism that leaps off your screen from the moment you watch him.

He's at his best when in transition, as he averaged over two points per game in that regard, which places him in the 89th percentile. His work in the paint didn't stop there, as he scored an average of five points in the paint per game (83rd percentile) while shooting over 70 percent in that area (94th percentile).

His role at Texas involved him cleaning up the paint, as he averaged over 1.4 points per game off of second chance opportunities while also grabbing two offensive rebounds per game (92nd percentile).

Jones's work in the halfcourt was centered around catching lobs, rolling and cutting to the basket, and hitting the occasional spot-up three. On over 30 attempts from deep this season, Jones knocked in over 38 percent of his threes.

While he'll be utilized from day one in the NBA as a rim-runner and transition threat, Jones has shown flashes of being a threat from outside as well as having upside as a shot creator.

Kai won't be effective today as a pull-up jump-shooter, but he's shown to be comfortable off of straight-line drives to the basket as well as when shooting a one-dribble pull-up. He isn't efficient when taking more than two or three dribbles, but he's shown a willingness to create offense for himself and others off the bounce.

Offensively, he has some really strong attributes that will give the Spurs a different dynamic in the frontcourt. A transition threat with over-the-top athleticism is something San Antonio hasn't had in years. Even more interesting, Jones is just scratching the surface of his game.

Kai Jones's rebounding and defense

As a rebounder, Jones is polished. His two offensive rebounds per game placed him among the elite in college basketball, and his overall rebounding percentage placed him in the better half.

He placed in the 68th percentile in defensive rebounds but had a total rebound percentage of 11.8, which ranks him 12th in his conference. Keep in mind, Jones was UT's sixth man. While playing over 20 minutes per night, he came off the bench for over 85 percent of his collegiate career.

Defensively, Jones has a ways to go as a team defender. Due to his experience as a basketball player being light, he sometimes puts himself in losing positions in the post. At times, he's also late on rotations to protect the rim, has found himself in foul trouble early, and relies on his athleticism over technique a bit too often.

These are surely things that can be fixed with coaching, but as of today, his best ability as a defender is his willing activity. Jones isn't a lazy defender, nor is he one that isn't engaged.

He's shown a great deal of competence as a perimeter defender who recovers very well when beat and can make a recovery block with ease. He had some intriguing defensive possessions against Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham, one of which ended in a swat into the stands from Jones.

Jones is a strong rim protector when in position, as he averaged nearly one block per game, and he's also very active with his hands and in passing lanes. He had a "Hakeem percentage" (the sum of a players block and steal percentage) of 6.4 percent, which ranks in the 88th percentile.

Jones may be raw when it comes to team defense, but individually, he could bring San Antonio some needed versatility on the perimeter and can be a stout rim protector once he gets some seasoning in the NBA.

How does Kai Jones fit in the San Antonio Spurs' system?

Kai Jones's fit in San Antonio is one that makes sense in a multitude of aspects. First, his athletic profile and strong attributes as a rim-runner provide a dynamic that isn't provided on the Spurs as of today.

From day one, Jones will be an roll man for the plethora of pick-and-roll ball handlers like Derrick White and Dejounte Murray, while also being a sound cutter to the basket. He can contribute on or off the ball, as he can contribute from deep on low volume attempts, or he'll be an impactful presence in the paint, cleaning up the glass and making the most out of second chance opportunities.

Defensively, Jones has fantastic athleticism and length to recover strong when beat, and that can also mask some of his defensive inefficiencies as he continues to grow as a basketball player. While he might go through some growing pains as a rim-rotator and team defender, he can defend 1-5 on the perimeter for stretches, while coming off the bench.

While Jones has some limitations in his game due to being an inexperienced player, he has a strong set of attributes that can land him some valuable playing time in year one, as he develops his game on both ends as a scorer, rim protector, etc.

Tapping into his upside and maxing out his potential will all depend on Jones's ability to become a more polished player on both ends. If Jones can expand his game as a spot-up shooter and/or off the dribble, combined with a more impactful and seasoned defensive presence, the sky is the limit for Kai
Jones.

Despite signing big man Jakob Poeltl last offseason, Kai Jones has significantly more upside as a scorer, defender, and transition threat. At age 20 and with just five years of basketball under his belt, he's shown immense progression in his game in such a short time frame.

While all you can do with these prospects is hope and project their future, there's a significant cause for optimism as it pertains to Kai Jones. At his core, you'll get a rim-running archetype at center that fits the bill for what you want from a center in today's NBA. At his peak, you could have a fringe top 10 center on your hands.

Nonetheless, UT's Kai Jones makes all the sense in the world for the San Antonio Spurs at pick number 12 in the 2021 NBA Draft.