The 2023 NBA Draft was a busy night for the Sacramento Kings. Monte McNair was busy taking trade calls all night as the Kings made two trades within an hour of each other. The first trade sent the 24th overall pick and Richaun Holmes to the Dallas Mavericks, helping the Kings free up cap space ahead of free agency. The second trade was with the Boston Celtics, as the Kings moved up four spots to pick 34 to draft Colby Jones in exchange for pick 38 and a future second.
Colby Jones is a fantastic prospect and 100% worth giving up a future second-round pick to get him. Jones is a first-round talent that somehow fell to pick 34, as we could be looking at the steal of the draft. The 6’6″ SG/SF out of Xavier University is one of the more versatile guards in the draft, as not only can he play the 1-3, but he can guard the 1-3 at a high level as well.
Colby Jones averaged 15.0 points, 4.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game with 51/38/65 shooting splits. Jones is NBA-ready, with all the right tools to improve and become a significant part of a winning Kings squad. One of the most impressive aspects of Jones’ game is his hustle. Colby Jones never gives up on the court, reflecting his work ethic off the court. The newest King will fit into Sacramento’s culture perfectly.
To get a good sense of the type of player Colby Jones is, we will give three NBA comparisons: One floor comparison, meaning Jones does not reach his potential. One realistic comparison. And one dream comparison, his ceiling if everything goes right.
Floor Comparison: Terence Davis with more playmaking
All Sacramento Kings fans are familiar with Terence Davis. The 26-year-old guard wrapped up his second full season in Sacramento, averaging 6.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while coming off the bench. In the 2020-21 season, the Kings acquired Davis from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a second-round pick.
Davis has been a valuable player for Sacramento but is now a pending free agent. The Kings could have drafted Colby Jones with the idea of replacing Terence Davis.
How does Colby Jones compare to Terence Davis? Besides both playing with high energy and maximum effort, they are both valuable on the defensive end, with offensive qualities that make them two-way players.
Terence Davis is a player who knows his role, as over half of his shot attempts come from beyond the arc, and he was matched on Stephen Curry in the playoff series for a reason. Everyone knows if anyone can chase Curry around the court, it is Terence Davis.
Colby Jones will have the same impact as Terence Davis but might be more valuable. His defensive intensity is similar but is more fundamentally sound on that end of the court. Jones is also more versatile as a defender, as he is 6’6″ compared to Davis’ 6’4″.
Terence Davis’ offense is relatively limited, as he focuses on his outside shot and struggles to create for himself and his teammates, while Jones’ offense is more well-rounded. They both are impressive shooters from deep, but Colby Jones is a fantastic playmaker, especially since he is not a natural point guard.
Realistic Comparison: Josh Green
Josh Green is coming off a breakout year for the Dallas Mavericks. The 22-year-old just finished his third season in the NBA, averaging 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.7 steals. This is the type of stat line we expect from Colby Jones as he is growing into his role, but Jones might not be getting 25 minutes per game like Josh Green did last season.
Like Colby Jones, Josh Green is a versatile defender who can guard the 1-3. With a 6’7″ frame, Green is a prototypical SG/SF. He has a deep, growing offensive bag centered around his jump shot. Green has continued to improve his three-point shot, coming off a season shooting 40% from deep.
Josh Green has a similar defensive intensity as Colby Jones, and he has done a fantastic job developing his game on both sides of the ball. While he has struggled to find a consistent offensive game, we expect the same from Colby Jones as he finds his way into the Kings’ rotation.
While it is a tough comparison, given Colby Jones is older than Josh Green, despite Green being a three-year NBA veteran, we feel Jones’ game reflects what we have seen from Green at this level. Josh Green came into the league with a focus on his athleticism, and Jones has shown he can run and jump with the best of them.
Colby Jones still has more playmaking potential, similar to the Terence Davis comparison, but we expect Jones to play a similar role for the Kings as Josh Green does for the Mavericks. Green has been great off the bench for Dallas, using his versatility to be the most impressive player in their second unit.
If Colby Jones replaces the role of Terence Davis for the Kings, the most realistic comparison is Josh Green.
Dream Comparison: Josh Hart
While Josh Hart is not a star, and readers may think this sets the bar too low for Colby Jones, a Josh Hart role is likely Jones’ ceiling. In Josh Hart’s career-best season, 2021-22, he averaged 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while splitting his season between the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers. His 50/34/76 shooting splits were not his most efficient, but he played a career-high 33 minutes per game.
Josh Hart is everything a team wants out of a role player. In the New York Knicks playoff run last season, Hart might have been their most valuable player outside of Jalen Brunson.
The 6’4″ shooting guard has developed into a great player since coming into the league. After being drafted 30th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Hart did not have high expectations. He was in a similar situation as Colby Jones is now, except Jones got drafted by a winning team where he will have to fight for his minutes.
Josh Hart and Colby Jones are both incredible, versatile defenders who can guard the 1-3. Hart has valued his defensive game, and that is where he earned his minutes early on, to where he could start focusing on his offensive development. Colby Jones needs to do the same, as he might need to come into Sacramento as a 3-and-D player, but as he earns his playing time, he will blossom into a playmaker and versatile scorer.
Josh Hart’s scoring, playmaking, and rebounding have all improved year after year, as Colby Jones is coming into the league with NBA-ready traits, but we expect to have similar development as Hart.
Both Hart and Jones played college in the Big East and are coming into the league with similar expectations. If Colby Jones can develop into a Josh Hart-level player, it would be best case scenario for the Sacramento Kings.
Grading the surprising Sacramento Kings draft night decisions
With the 2023 NBA Draft wrapped up, we take a look at each decision the Sacramento Kings made on draft night and give them a grade.