Another injury thrust Kai Jones into Hornets’ lineup. It’s up to him to take advantage
If the pojo stick-like fashion used to spring off the bench didn’t indicate things were a bit different, the spiky blue hair certainly was a dead giveaway.
More than two months had whizzed by since Kai Jones’ last appearance in a meaningful game, yet there was the Charlotte Hornets big man Saturday night, forced into action thanks to that dreaded injury big still gnawing endlessly. Jones was the first player summoned off the bench in each half of the Hornets’ 108-103 win against Miami at Spectrum Center, something that seemed far-fetched even 24 hours earlier before he got recalled from a two-game stint with the franchise’s G League team in Greensboro.
“I’m just always ready to hoop whenever my name is called in any arena,” Jones said. “Just being ready, staying ready. I had a game down there planned anyway, so I was already making my mind up to play.”
For Jones, furthering the pro education in his second season is critical and taking full advantage of this current situation is extremely important. But it’s safe to say he won’t be bronzing and framing the stat sheet of Game 62. Not after scrambling on a couple of occasions defensively, failing to take a shot in 11 minutes, getting fouled on his lone attempt and posting two points on a pair of free throws.
Jones hadn’t played in the Hornets’ previous 12 games, and his opportunity came in part because the Hornets’ injury luck lasted all of three quarters in their first action following the All-Star break. PJ Washington exited Friday night’s win over Minnesota with a right foot sprain and sat out against the Heat, sporting a walking boot and continuing a wacky trend that’s prevented the Hornets from being at full strength for a legitimate span of games all season.
“Hopefully, PJ’s (injury) isn’t serious,” coach Steve Clifford said. “They’ll do an MRI and we’ll find out more, but he said he (felt) a lot better today.”
That’s why in times like these, which have been a far too frequent occurrence for the Hornets over the past five months, the Hornets have to search for the silver lining in an otherwise dark and stormy season. Development of their rookies and first- and second-year players is going to be huge as the Hornets attempt to build up the roster around star point guard LaMelo Ball and there’s nothing more effective than gaining actual experience.
Washington’s sudden absence opens up minutes for Jones – a necessity in order not to stymie the maturation process of someone who didn’t truly begin seriously playing organized basketball until his teenage years. And he knows it’s up to him to reap the benefits of the unexpected thrust into the main rotation.
“For sure, just to gain the trust of the coaching staff and the organization, show them that I’m ready,” Jones said. “Keep improving on my game as an individual and help the team win. That’s the important aspect as well. Help the team get some wins.”
Jones didn’t get a chance for one of the high-flying throwdowns he’s become known for in his short pro tenure and crafty Miami vet Jimmy Butler took Jones to school on his first defensive possession, creating contact by leaking in to draw a foul and take advantage of the youngster’s exuberance.
Those on-court lessons are priceless and Jones can’t get enough of the educational experiences.
“I just try to make no mistakes when I’m out there honestly, even when I’m in the G League,” Jones said. “So, in the natural flow of the game things just happen. So, you just try to communicate with the coaching staff, reflect on it and just get better from it.”
Incorporating Jones into the mix quickly while Washington heals shouldn’t be an issue. At least not initially given the similarity in verbiage and style between the Greensboro Swarm and the Hornets’ main game plan.
They purposefully did that for this specific reason, allowing for a smoother transition when situations like this arise where they are shuffling a young player up and down I-85.
“He’s playing big minutes (with Greensboro), he’s here for practice,” Clifford said. “We still do a lot live. I think there’s a real misconception with these guys, the younger guys. They’re still here, they still practice with us. So, it’s not that he’s not here. The terminology is the same, the way they play is the same.”
In his latest assignment with the Swarm, Jones averaged 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, a steal and an assist in 30.5 minutes. He has plenty of room to grow and refine his raw skills, which can be buoyed if he develops a reliable jumper that makes him more difficult to guard and opens up driving lanes where he can show off his freakish athleticism.
Mastering other crucial areas, such as the intricacies of the pick-and-roll on both sides of the ball, will go a long way in elbowing himself into the lineup and helping him stay in it.
“That’s not really Kai’s game yet,” Cliffortf said. “That’s one of the things he has to work on. I see right now, what he’s got to get done: he needs to be more consistent defending, rebounding and so the team plays well when he’s on the floor. The screen-and-roll part can be somewhere down the line.
“Some people have a great feel for that and for other people it takes longer. It’s not something that’s come naturally for him. Mark Williams and Nick (Richards), they’ve picked it up a lot quicker. And he’ll get there.”
Jones insists he’s akin to the writing on the passenger side mirror of an automobile: As in the day everything all comes together is closer than it might appear.
“Right now, even down in the G League, I’m playing exactly how I work out,” Jones said. “So, it’s not like I haven’t done anything I haven’t worked on yet. I feel pretty comfortable. There’s some more things I want to show, but that just naturally comes out, You can’t force it.
“So, the way that I’m playing right now, I’m really free. The coaching staff isn’t putting any restrictions on me. They just tell me to go out there and be efficient, and naturally that’s who I am anyway. So, I feel really cozy in who I am out there.”
