Offense will have to come from somewhere for the Oklahoma City Thunder while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are sidelined. Perhaps this is the chance for Perry Jones III to finally make good on his Durant-esque combination of size, length, and skills? If the third-year wing’s career performance against the Los Angeles Clippers last night is any indication, the next few weeks will indeed be his time to breakout.
Jones abused the Clippers all game long, feasting on their group of small, physically overmatched wing players. This is the type of guy so many thought he’d become when he ranked as a consensus top-five prospect in the high school class of 2010.
Players so big aren’t supposed to run, jump, or shoot with the effortless nature of Jones. Once the 23 year-old developed a floor-game, stardom seemed imminent. But he underwhelmed in two years at Baylor, and was barely a blip on the radar behind Durant and other wings in his pair of campaigns with the Thunder.
The 6-11 small forward has always had the talent, and he showed it against Los Angeles. For the sake of the Thunder’s playoff hopes, Jones needs to continue doing so over the next month or so.
(Video via GD’s Latest Highlights)
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