Kings grab Colby Jones in 2nd round via trade with Celtics
The Sacramento Kings are acquiring the 34th pick from the Boston Celtics and drafting guard Colby Jones out of Xavier, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Celtics' 34th pick initially belonged to the Charlotte Hornets.
Jones is coming off a junior season in which he ranked third on Sean Miller's squad in scoring and helped take Xavier to the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2018. His on-ball defense proved to be crucial to the Musketeers' season. Xavier successfully deployed Jones against multiple perimeter threats thanks to the tenacious stopper's solid footwork and relentless chasing through screens.
But Jones also shows a lot of promise in specific elements on the other end. For a wing whose defense is his calling card, Jones is a solid passer and can slot in as a secondary facilitator while keeping opponents honest with his 3-point stroke. He may not have mastered any one skill, but he's proven himself in several that could see him become a quick plug-and-play type in the NBA.
Bio
Position: Guard
School: Xavier
College experience: Junior
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 199 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-8
Max vertical: 35 inches
2022-23 stats with Xavier
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 50.9 | 37.8 | 65.3 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 15 |
Strengths
- Reads and fights through opposing screens really well.
- Likes to punish sagging defenders with dependable running floater.
- Lateral quickness, footwork, and smart hands can frustrate opposing guards and even occasional bigs in post.
Weaknesses
- Questions about whether 37.8% mark from deep last season will translate to NBA; shot 33%, 29.2% in first two seasons and career-low 65.3% on free throws in 2022-23
- Doesn't have reliable off-the-dribble scoring game from the perimeter.
- Not overly athletic or quick; won't often beat defenders with his first step alone and resorts too often to poor jumpers inside and in mid-range when rim is taken away.
NBA comparable: Bruce Brown. Jones and the Denver Nuggets swingman are similar in several aspects. They're both solid rebounders for their size (6-foot-4 for Brown, 6-foot-5 for Jones) and great at finding open teammates thanks to their talent as passers. But the defensive side of the game is where Jones and Brown arguably most resemble each other. They can keep their own man quiet while providing their teams with a ton of versatility as a switchable defender on guards and even bigger wings. Brown possesses more athleticism than we've seen from Jones, but he still gives Jones a solid blueprint to follow as a role player in the league.