Tre Jones decided to stay at Duke instead of entering the 2019 NBA Draft. The extra year allowed him to work on some of his weaknesses and now he is officially in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Blue Devil’s point guard was a leading force on a young Duke team. His experience and ability helped the Blue Devils be a top team in the ACC this past season. He may be a late first-round draft pick, but he should be able to carve out an NBA role. The point guard will be following his older brother to the NBA.
Smooth bounce pass from Zion to Tre Jones for the score ? pic.twitter.com/GyqXYfrEg0
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 17, 2019
Defense
Tre Jones is a phenomenal defender on and off of the ball. His ability on the defensive side should keep him on an NBA team for years. Defensive minded point guards are highly sought after to attempt to slow down the many scoring point guards currently in the NBA. Tre Jones has the ability to be a top defensive point guard in the NBA. It is possible he is the best defensive point guard in the 2020 NBA Draft. He is only listed at 6’3″ but he does have the ability to guard some shooting guards as well. He averaged 1.8 steals in his sophomore year and 1.9 steals in his freshman year. Jones made it almost impossible for opposing guards to score. He is the definition of a lockdown defender while he is on the court.
Playmaking
Tre Jones is a prototype NBA point guard and playmaker. He has the passing ability and court vision that NBA teams look for in NBA Draft prospects. Jones jumped out in his freshman year averaging 5.3 assists per game. The following year with a less talented roster he averaged 6.4 assists per game. He worked on some of his flaws when passing the ball and improved on them the next year. Jones is a talented playmaker that could fill in as a backup for an NBA team perfectly. The Blue Devils offense ran better when the sophomore was on the court. This fact led him to play over 35 minutes per game in his sophomore year. Duke just couldn’t afford to not have him on the floor running the offense. He was an invaluable asset to the Duke Blue Devils.
Basketball IQ and Intangibles
Tre Jones is a very smart basketball player and having a player like that is invaluable. He ran the Duke offense and got better in his second year while doing it. The pressure on a freshman to run the offense at Duke is significant, but Jones handled it in stride. He improved in almost every aspect of his game in his sophomore year. The clearest jump in his numbers was clearly his points per game. Jones went from averaging 9.4 points per game to 16.2 points per game. He also gained better numbers with his shooting percentage, assists, rebounds, and blocks. Tre Jones set out to improve in his second year and he did just that. The decision to stay at Duke looks like a good one so far considering his draft stock remained about the same. Jones could be the exact type of point guard that an NBA playoff team needs coming off of their bench.
CHAOS IN CHAPEL HILL!
Down two, Tre Jones throws it off the rim on the free throw, gets it back and knocks it down for OT!?pic.twitter.com/ZVmcMrfPQI
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) February 9, 2020
Weaknesses
The most glaring issue with Jones has always been his shooting ability. He did make improvements in his second year, but he does not project as a great shooter at the NBA level. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but it could turn some teams off from drafting him if they need more shooting on their roster. Jones’ turnover problem has been one glaring problem for the point guard. He went from averaging 1.5 per game in his freshman year to averaging 2.7 per game in his sophomore year. That is a glaring issue for an NBA ready point guard and he will need to cut down on those numbers once he reaches the next level. These issues are the key reasons why Tre Jones is not a lottery pick in this year’s draft. There are better point guard prospects, but Jones can carve out a role in the NBA. The league needs players like Jones in the NBA and he should carve out a solid role at the next level.
2020 NBA Draft Comparison: Tyus Jones
Comparing brothers isn’t always the best move to make, but Tre and Tyus Jones have a very similar playstyle. Tre Jones is a little taller but doesn’t quite have the same mass as his older brother Tyus. They are both amazing defenders on and off the ball and both have a knack for getting inside the opposing player’s head. Tyus is the better shooter, but Tre could project as the better playmaker between the two brothers. Tyus Jones has carved out a solid role for himself in the NBA and Tre could find himself in a similar situation, but with a better team. There is a good chance that Tre Jones becomes the primary backup point guard on a talented playoff team. If he finds a way to start shooting the ball a little better then he could stay in the league for many years.
