The Kings had a fairly underwhelming draft day back in June of 2023 following their first playoff series in almost two decades. Sacramento ended up trading their 1st round pick to Dallas in order to salary dump Richaun Holmes and free up cap space. They did later trade up in the 2nd round however to take Colby Jones, a guard from Xavier that many pundits expected to be a 1st round pick talent.
Given the Kings new situation of being actually good, it was always going to be a tough task for a rookie like Jones to crack the rotation, especially with guys like Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk playing the same position. The Kings also traded for Chris Duarte in the offseason, crowding the backcourt even more.
Still, Jones generated some hype from Kings fans that he could be ready for a role right away, particularly with his play in preseason where he averaged 9 points on 47.4% from the field and 40.9% from three, to go along with 1.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 15.5 minutes a game.
Jones didn’t get much time in the first few games of the season, finally getting a chance to play a bit more when De’Aaron Fox got injured. Eventually though, it was Keon Ellis who earned a rotation spot as he was more consistent on both ends of the court.
Jones spent most of the rest of the season riding the bench or playing in Stockton, where he played particularly well. Jones played 13 games for the Stockton Kings and averaged 19.8 points on 51.3% from the field and 37.5% from three to go with 7.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 36.1 minutes a game. Colby’s best performance came in a game against the Mexico City Capitanes in March where he dropped 43 points, including 8 three pointers, while also dishing out 7 assists.
Jones ended up getting some more run with the main team towards the end of the season as the Kings dealt with injuries to both Huerter and Monk. In a 30 point win on the road in Brooklyn, Jones played 23 minutes and scored 7 points to go with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. That ability to do a little bit of everything on both ends of the court showed when Jones was able to get any kind of extended run. Defensively he’s a pest, with a good nose for the ball and getting steals, and offensively, he’s an excellent ballhandler who is able to create for both himself and others.
One area where Jones really needs to work on this summer however is his three point shot. He shot just 2 for 22 (9.1%) in the brief time he played with the big boys this season and that just won’t cut it long term. Of course, it’s hard to get into any kind of rhythm when playing time is sporadic or only in garbage time so I’m leaning towards him being more of the shooter we saw in preseason or in Stockton.
The Kings are in a better position than they have been traditionally, allowing for them to bring along young players a bit more slowly instead of just throwing them right into the fire. We saw this pay off already this season with Keon Ellis’ development. Ellis had a very similar situation to Jones last year, spending most of the season with Stockton and rarely getting any extended opportunity, only for him to come in this season and win not just a rotation spot but potentially a starting spot full time.
The Kings are invested in Jones future, making him the first player to be signed with the NBA’s new second round pick exception and giving him a four year deal. Considering Malik Monk’s free agency, Jones could be given a ton more opportunity next season should Monk leave. And even if Monk stays, Jones will likely be competing for a rotation spot with the likes of Chris Duarte, who played almost four times as much but didn’t really produce enough to warrant that.
Colby Jones rookie season won’t go down in any record books, but his story is just beginning. I have a feeling we’ll be talking about Jones in a far more glowing light next summer if he gets the opportunity to shine.
