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by Conrad Brunner || Caught in the Web Archive ||
May 17, 2011
LOOKING BACK: Though relatively young and athletic, Jones was not one of the players of that profile that benefited from the coaching change, slipping out of the frontcourt rotation almost entirely. He was on the active roster just six times in 38 games under interim Frank Vogel and made just three appearances. He played regularly in the first half of the season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 36 games. He shot very well from the line early, hitting 19 of 22, but went 21 of 37 the rest of the way. He followed the same pattern from the field, shooting 7-of-36 in his last 14 games. He had the first double-digit rebound game of his career, grabbing 10 off the bench in the Nov. 22 victory over Miami.
LOOKING AHEAD: One of the reasons, perhaps the biggest, Jones was not a factor under Vogel is that despite his youth and skill set, he has essentially established his ceiling. While he has proven a capable reserve, Jones has not offered much evidence to suggest he could blossom into a more prominent player with more playing time. In 247 career NBA games, he has never scored more than 14 points or pulled more than 10 rebounds.
KEY STATS: In five NBA seasons, Jones' career highs are 63 games, 13.5 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots. The minutes and rebound averages were established in 2010-11, though he played in just 39 games.
CONTRACT STATUS: Free agent.
OUTLOOK: The fact he was not on the active roster for any of the playoff games against Chicago, a team that challenged the Pacers' frontcourt depth and athleticism, is not a positive indicator for Jones' future in Indiana. A free spirit who has thus far relied upon his physical gifts to establish an NBA career, Jones needs to show the work ethic and commitment to improvement in order to take his game to a higher level.