Kam Jones has been very solid in the month of February, and that was no different in his last game. He is proving that he can be a real asset to the Indiana Pacers, and it seems like he is only getting better.
In Tuesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Marquette alum recorded 13 points (career-high) on 5-for-11 shooting, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 29 minutes. This was easily one of the best games of his young career, but it's just one part of the story.
Across his nine games in February so far, Jones has averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 36% from deep.
Are these jaw-dropping numbers? No. But given that he hasn't played much this season before this month (due to injuries and coaching decisions), his rise has been a pleasure to watch.
Plus, he pretty clearly passes the eye test. He is confident in his decisions, knowing exactly when to pass, shoot, etc., and he knows how to play well in Indiana's system. Additionally, he plays hard whenever he's on the court, he has improved in every area of his game, and he's proving that he can be a contributor for years to come.
Kam Jones has a bright future in Indiana
After Tuesday's loss, head coach Rick Carlisle spoke about Jones' growth, and he made it pretty clear that he is a fan of his and what he brings to the table (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
"We have to find out how far he can take this in terms of his level of his conditioning," Carlisle said. "Defensively, individual matchups and how he defends within the team. But there's certainly been a significant amount of growth in the last two weeks. It's heartening to see that. He's a good kid. Things just got off to an unlucky start. He's getting some great opportunity. His preparation in recent weeks has met the opportunity. He's done some good things."
There won't be many opportunities for Jones to be a lead guard for Indiana, but that doesn't mean he can't have a long-term role with the team.
The Pacers are still in search of their third point guard to play behind Tyrese Haliburton (once he returns to the court) and T.J. McConnell. Andrew Nembhard will go back to playing shooting guard, and it remains to be seen if Indiana will be able to snag someone like Darryn Peterson in the draft. However, Jones will be a name to monitor.
Whether the Pacers view the recently turned 24-year-old as a point guard or shooting guard full-time is its own question, but he is playing well enough to earn a role with the team moving forward.
It is a small sample size, but Jones is looking better and more comfortable every game. And if he can keep this up for the rest of the season, the Pacers may have no choice but to integrate him into the system from here on out.