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2017-18 Pacers Player Reviews: Trey McKinney-Jones

By Tony East

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 23: Trey McKinney-Jones #10 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball before the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 23, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 23: Trey McKinney-Jones #10 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball before the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 23, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Trey McKinney-Jones didn’t do much of anything this season, but he still played basketball for the Indiana Pacers. Let’s look at that brief period of time.

Prior to this NBA season, only 17 times in NBA history had a player suited up for a total of exactly one minute over the course of an entire season. In the 2017-18 Indiana Pacers campaign, Trey McKinney-Jones joined that microscopic group of players.

Some of these seasons were from some unforgettable players. Bruce Bowen hit the NBA hardwood for exactly one minute during his rookie campaign with the Miami Heat. The tallest man to ever put on a jersey, Gheorghe Muresan, accumulated just one minute of playing time in the 1998-99 season as he recovered from injury. Current NBAer DeAndre Liggins fought through a single minute season in 2013-14 on his path to becoming a part of the Pelicans playoff rotation this past year. The one minute season isn’t always a death sentence, it can be the start of something great.

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And it could be just the opportunity Trey McKinney-Jones needed. He spent four seasons with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. TMJ played in summer league for the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs, but didn’t get a training camp invite from any of them. He made it to training camps for the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in the past only to be waived before the season started. But after the long and winding journey, McKinney-Jones finally made it to the pros and got his opportunity.

The Pacers signed McKinney-Jones to a 10-day contract back in February as injury assurance while Darren Collison recovered from surgery. His NBA time was brief and uneventful in that he didn’t actually put up any counting stats and his plus/minus was an even zero. But it was eventful in that TMJ got to make his NBA debut against the Atlanta Hawks, and that is awesome. He got to live out his dream:

Outside of that, though, there wasn’t much from Trey McKinney-Jones. He rode the pine for the other three games that spanned his 10-day contract, and once the 10 days were up the front office decided to sign Trevor Booker instead of bringing back TMJ for more. The days went by in a snap.

McKinney-Jones impact was felt instead on the Pacers G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Down there, TMJ poured in 12 points per game on just nine shot attempts per contest. His efficient shooting splits, 51.1/40.3/76.8, aggregated to a 59.2 percent true shooting percentage which almost certainly helped him get the NBA call-up when the Pacers needed point guard depth. Simply put, McKinney-Jones could score from anywhere, and he could do it efficiently. That made him a worthy recipient of a 10-day contract.

The Pacers just didn’t need him. The timing worked out perfectly for him to come up and make his debut when the team needed depth, but there just wasn’t a role for him going forward. Maybe next season the Pacers could look to him as a two-way contract recipient, but he will be 28 years old at the start of next year. He is past the point of having potential.

Next: 2017-18 Pacers Player Reviews: Damien Wilkins

With all that said, who knows what comes next for Trey McKinney-Jones. Does he stay for a fifth season in Fort Wayne? Will he pursue another season playing abroad? Or does he finally get his chance to play meaningful minutes in the NBA? Who knows, but either way, this season was a dream come true for McKinney-Jones, and whatever comes next in the next chapter of his life is all gravy. He got to play in the NBA. He made it. What an accomplishment.

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