3 Sacramento Kings players to pay attention to during the Vegas Summer League
By Mat Issa
Colby Jones
Unlike Ellis, it is much more natural for someone like Colby Jones to participate in the Vegas Summer League. He's only heading into his sophomore season in the association. Plus, Jones appeared in just 30 games (0 starts) in 2023-24.
Given all the guards and wings on the projected 2024-25 roster, it will be hard for Jones to see an uptick in playing time if he doesn't show a significant amount of growth in the summer league.
To carve out a role on this Kings' team, Jones is going to have to prove that he can slot into a modern-day "3-and-D" role. To do this, Jones is going to have to show that he can defend, attack closeouts, and (obviously) shoot the three ball.
Jones has proven he can provide some defensive pop (73rd percentile steal rate and 74th percentile block rate), and he's shown some promise as a driver (65th percentile true shooting on drives). The real concern has to do with his jumper. Jones hit just 2 of his 22 3-point attempts (9.1%) last year. Although, there is some hope for improvement, as he canned 34.4% of his 218 threes in college.
As a second round pick, Jones' leash isn't as long as a lottery pick. So, showing up big time in the summer league will be critical to his chances of having a prosperous NBA career.