Perry Jones III Drafted 28th By Oklahoma City Thunder
Perry Jones III was once considered a top five draft pick. But last night during the NBA draft. Jones’ name continued to fall until finally, the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafted him with the 28th pick.
But that isn’t bad news for Jones III. Perry will be playing for a young Thunder team who could be title contenders for the next few years. He’ll join Kevin Durant, who has won the NBA scoring title for the last three years, and Russell Westbrook.
Jones said:
“It wouldn’t matter to me if they were a contender or not. They are somebody I could see myself playing with… They like to run the floor real well, and they are one of the best teams, and I know I can learn from them. What’s better than learning from one of the best teams? They were in the finals. They have great players, great coach. This is just an opportunity for me to grow.”
Unlike Anthony Davis, Jones stayed in college to play during his sophomore year. That decision may have cost him. According to The Ball Don’t Lie, Jones was expected to go in the top five after his freshman year but Jones III decided to return to Baylor to play one more year with the Bears. Jones put up similar numbers (averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds) but reports surfaced that the young star may have knee problems.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports:
“Multiple league sources say NBA team doctors are concerned about a meniscus issue in the knee of Baylor forward Perry Jones III. While opinions among NBA doctors vary on the ramifications of the issue, some teams believe the knee could pose a problem down the road and at some point require surgery.
General manager Sam Presti said that team doctors would evaluate Jones III but said that he wasn’t worried about his new player’s knee.
Presti said:
“We’ve looked at all the information that we’ve had available and we wouldn’t have selected him unless we felt comfortable with all of the information.”
Do you think Perry Jones III will help the OKC Thunder return to the NBA Finals next year?
