Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti is both. The architect behind the league's most talented young roster received a very nice gift from the rest of the league when Baylor forward Perry Jones III fell into his lap at 28.
Jones would have been a top-five pick after his freshman season, but he opted to return to Baylor as a sophomore; the NBA lockout and related uncertainty may have driven that decision. But his production tailed off in his sophomore campaign; fans and scouts expected dominance and got a scoring average that fell from 13.9 ppg to 13.5, despite the fact that Jones' shot attempts increased on average.
The drop in production, combined with rumors about moodiness and concerns about inconsistent effort, caused Jones' draft stock to plummet, despite the fact that, in terms of pure potential, he might be the second-best player in this draft.
Oklahoma City is an ideal landing spot for Jones. He won't have to play right away, and he'll have the opportunity to learn from a number of players that, while young, are regarded as consummate professionals.
If he turns into the next Anthony Randolph, what's the harm? But if he does play at anything approaching his potential, he'll be the steal of this draft.
- Perry Jones III NCAA Statistics
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