Chicago Bulls 2019 NBA Draft: Point guards on the rise
By Ryan Heckman
Tre Jones, Freshman, Duke
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 183lbs
2018-2019 Averages: 8.5 points (43.2 percent shooting), 5.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals
Current rank on SI’s Big Board: No. 29
This one hits a little close to home for me — well, actually as close to home as you can get. I grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota for most of my life and, for the last several years, I got to hear all about the Jones brothers. Both Tyus Jones and Tre Jones were the talk of the town for quite some time, and now that they’ve moved on from Apple Valley High School, the city is even more proud than ever.
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Jones is an intriguing talent, and his ceiling is tremendously high at the pro level. The tough part of evaluating him (or anybody else outside of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett or Cam Reddish) is the fact that he plays with those three guys. Seeing as how that trio takes up most of the offense and spotlight, it’s tougher for Jones to make a statement.
But, he doesn’t really need to for his team to win. He knows where he stands, which points to his high character. He’s a team-first guy. Could he solve the Bulls’ problem long-term? Maybe. But, if anything, he would be a fantastic addition to the bench. On a team with other scorers like Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter, he would fit in well.