The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Kai Jones’ lifelong NBA dream will come to fruition in mere hours and the 20-year-old highly touted prospect said his approach will remain the same, irrespective of which organisation calls his name to welcome him into their franchise.

The NBA Draft will be hosted tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and televised nationally by ESPN at 8pm.

The 6’11”, 225-pound frontcourt player out of Texas said his game should fit into the plan for any franchise and sees himself as the prototypical “big” for the modern NBA.

“I think I fit all the qualities of the new age big those organisations are looking for….My all around versatility, my ability to put the ball on the floor, guard multiple positions, shoot the ball and my athletic ability, my motor, those are some of the things I think will be huge for me coming into the NBA,” he said.

“My defensive presence is going to be huge, just being able to switch ball screens, playing drop coverages, I have a pretty good knack for playing defence and I think that is going to be essential to me getting on the floor as a rookie and playing a lot of minutes as a rookie. On the offensive end, I can attack closeouts, I’m very fast, I think overall my shotmaking and athleticism are going to have an immediate impact when I get in.”

Jones has been projected by several media outlets to go as high as the fringe of the lottery to the late first round.

He has worked out for several teams throughout the draft process, including the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic.

“I had a great time in San Antonio, we went out to dinner with the staff, got to meet some of the managers, got a tour of the facility, did some physical testing, did some combine testing, then the next day I got a 3-on-3 workout and that workout went really well for me to show how much stronger I’ve gotten and how much my skills have improved,” Jones said.

“I had a really good visit with the Kings. I shot it well. I had a lot of fun working out with them, the energy was good and the feedback was all positive. They love how hard I work, the passion I played with, and the motor I played with.”

In the most recent editions of Mock Drafts, both Sports Illustrated and SB Nation have Jones slotted at No.11 to the Charlotte Hornets. Yahoo! Sports, and NBAdraft.net project him at No.12 to the San Antonio Spurs while CBS Sports has him at No.19 to the New York Knicks.

Although he has no preference for a destination to begin his NBA career, Jones said he hopes that the organisation has a keen eye on player development along with a winning culture.

“An organisation that is about winning and that is about developing players. An organisation that’s hands on and open minded with their player development and just all about making everybody reach their full potential. Somewhere that’s huge on development, getting guys better, and winning games. I want to be a part of a winning culture,” he said.

“For a guy like me, my size, at my size, they want someone that can really defend, rebound and finish around the rim at a base. I think I can do all those things, I know I can. Teams that have had a lot of success like the Bucks and the Suns have big men that do all those. Also, having people in general that can knock down shots from outside, I play the four, and I will probably play some three in the NBA too.”

Jones is seen as a raw unfinished product on the offensive end of the floor but said he hopes to pattern his game after another pair of MVP forwards with similar body types.

“The two players I pattern my game after are Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. I watch a lot of their film, and the way that they play the game,” he said. “The passion Giannis plays the game with the way he can get to the rim, Euro and finish through contact and then Kevin Durant’s footwork on his shot is the best in the game. Just his form, the way he holds his follow through, and his high release on his mid-range too. I just try to watch those guys and pattern my game after them.”

In his sophomore season, Jones averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He shot 57 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. His standout season was recognised by the Big 12. He was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year and became the first Texas Longhorns player in programme history to earn the award.

Jones was tied for second on the team in blocks (19), tied for third in rebounding (4.8 rebounds per game), fourth in steals (22), and sixth in scoring (8.5 points per game) while averaging 22.7 minutes per game. He has hit 56.5-percent from the field (70-124), including a 36.7-percent mark (11-30) from three-point range, and has reached double figures in scoring 10 times in his first 23 games.

One of the biggest improvements of his second season at Texas was his improved efficiency shooting from long range. He has reportedly added seven additional pounds of muscle since the NCAA season came to an end.

“I think it’s going to be huge for me in the NBA, especially being a guy that can attack closeouts on the wing. I work on it a lot, it’s just a testament to my work ethic, getting up shots, and going back for sessions. Also getting stronger too so It was just a matter of consistency with my footwork, paying a lot of attention in the weight room just to increase my range and make it an easier shot, a more stable shot,” Jones said on his improved three point shooting, “I just wanted to continue to make my shot more fluid and continue to have a consistent shot from deep. I wanted to increase my percentage and get it up even more from last season, and also my ball handling. I really wanted to focus on every aspect of my game because I’m a guy who will play multiple positions in the NBA and is going to do a lot of things so I just worked on my ball handling, my shooting, my footwork, my mid post game and also getting stronger.”

Jones signed with Klutch Sports Group ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.

The organisation had several new NBA Draft prospects that were set to be added to its client roster - Jones, Brandon Boston (Kentucky), Jalen Johnson (Duke), Scottie Lewis (Florida) Moses Moody (Arkansas) and the late Terrence Clarke (Kentucky).