Tre Jones might be one of the more recognizable names in the 2020 draft class. Why is that? Well you might know him as Duke’s PG when Zion, RJ, and Cam were there. Tre is a 6’3 185 pound guard who has a lot of potential to be your everyday standard PG. Tre will be the old fashion type of PG, the guy who will make any pass in any situation, a guy who will run the offense and get other players involved. Tre is not gonna be a Trae Young or a Westbrook he isn’t gonna be a score first PG, he’s gonna be like the guys like John Stockton, Rondo, Jason Kidd all these guys that are pass first basketball players. As expected Jones improved stats wise because he was the star now. Tre averged 16.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 4.2 RPG, on 42% from the field, and 39% from deep.
Strengths: First things first, Tre is one of the best defenders in this draft regardless of position, great with his hands, and has the lateral ability to keep up with the best. Despite his size Tre can guard the 1 and 2 position and become a pest on them both. Very high IQ guy off the ball he sees the plays before they even happen which just shows he puts the same amount of effort watching film as he does on the hardwood. Like I stated before, he’s a really good playmaker and he’s proven that by sharing and helping Zion, RJ, and Cam become better players and help them gel as a team. Now he can’t read a defense as well as he can read the opponents offense but he does make the right decisions majority of the time. Like a Rondo and the other great passers they are patient and let the play run a little bit to see how the defense reacts, he reads the help defense well and is capable of making passes across the court. Transition is where he’s elite at with his playmaking, capable of making the long pass or a lob with precision. Freshman year Tre was a decent shooter to put it lightly he shot 26% from deep but did improve to 36% so there is promise in his shooting. Tre can be the PG that can C&S though because he did shoot 40% in C&S situations. He really likes to pull up from 3 so if he can become a good 3 PT shooter he might become deadly and become career changing. Last but not least, Tre is a winner and willing to out work anyone to become one of the best, he’s been around NBA guys being at Duke with that program and who they play against. Tre is one of the most all around PG’s you can get in the draft so take a chance on him.
Weaknesses: Being a PG you’re expected to know how to create space for your shot but Tre doesn’t have that ability. Tre is not a mid range guy and will need to improve that to become a reliable PG (Tre shot 36% from mid range.) Tre has a tendency to take very contested shots in the paint, mid range, and the 3PT line, needs to learn how to use his pump fake and take it to the hole. Another crucial thing Tre needs to improve to catch up to the modern day PG is he needs to prove his finishing because he shot 46% from the paint. Lack the explosiveness at the rim, lacks the length to finish over taller guys. Not being able to finish at the rim as a PG really hurts your overall game at the next level because teams will be pressing up against you forcing you to drive and take a bad shot. Adding around 10 pounds also won’t hurt him; it will really add to his already elite defensive game.
Verdict: My NBA comparison for Tre is Celtics Rondo because they are both old fashion PG’s who will run the offense and put their teammates above them. A guy who will make any lineup gel together and will make an offense efficient. My definition of an old fashion PG is a guy who can run an offense and make any pass, and will always tell their kids the infamous quote, “defense turns into offense.” Rondo was also picked at pick 21 right around where Tre is projected to go. Mostly everyone that is not a Duke fan hates Duke but Tre is a guy you can easily root for.
TheDyspatch 