Derrick Jones Jr. Brings Valuable Depth to Dallas Mavs Bench
Since being signed in August, Derrick Jones Jr. is expected to be a valuable bench piece for the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-6 forward has been known for his incredible vertical and highlight-reel dunks and defensive instincts over the years, and now, that will be added to a Mavericks squad that finished 25th in defensive rating last season.
Jones' seven-foot wingspan and athleticism gives him an edge on the defensive end of the court, with the versatile forward being able to guard all five positions. He is also valuable defending the pick-and-roll.
Jones has had a questionable three-point shot throughout his career, and he shot just 33.8 percent from beyond the arc last season. This leaves some questions as to just how much playing time he'll be able to gain over other defensive-minded forwards on the roster with a better shot, like Grant Williams and Maxi Kleber.
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Although there are areas of Jones' game that limit his impact, he will, at the very least, be an exciting option on fast breaks for the Mavs this coming season. With the playmaking of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the 2020 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest winner will be looking to create many more jaw-dropping highlights off the lobs from the two stars.
Jones comes to the Mavericks as an upgrade over former swingman Theo Pinson, who was an end-of-the-bench option. Pinson averaged 2.1 points per game last season in comparison to Jones' 5.0 points per game with the Bulls last season, but aside from point production, Jones just has overall experience and capabilities that Pinson lacked.
No matter what his role ends up being in head coach Jason Kidd's rotation next season, one thing you can guarantee is that Jones will bring energy to a Mavs squad that can use that kind of jolt from time to time.
