I approached NBA Summer League this July with skepticism. It’s nothing new or special, really, to season your summer basketball viewing with a shaker of salt. It’s the rule with any games outside of the NBA regular season — and even some of those qualify. But perhaps no player signified the “cautious” of cautious optimism this summer for me more than Perry Jones III, the rookie from Baylor who was drafted by Oklahoma City and whose full talents we’ve still never seen.
His body of work while in Waco would suggest we haven’t seen him give a full, 40-minute effort, either. But whether it was the pressure of fending for minutes in Orlando or just a wholesale attitude change, Jones III impressed me all summer. That continues today, after his nasty drive from the top of the arc Tuesday night in the Thunder’s preseason game against Charlotte. After putting his head down and taking two dribbles, he rose over Tyrus Thomas with ease for the huge dunk. He finished with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, with five assists, four boards and zero turnovers. Well played — and keep playing that way, Perry.
What do you think?
Follow Andrew on Twitter at @AndrewGreif.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
