- Former Weber State participant Dillon Jones handles the ball throughout a pre-NBA Draft exercise with the Indiana Pacers on Might 31, 2024, in Indianapolis.
- Weber State’s Dillon Jones, left, drives previous former Memphis participant David Jones after a steal in the course of the NBA draft mix Might 15, 2024, in Chicago.
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Emil Vajgrt, Indiana Pacers
Former Weber State participant Dillon Jones handles the ball throughout a pre-NBA Draft exercise with the Indiana Pacers on Might 31, 2024, in Indianapolis.
The NBA Draft course of is now multiple yr previous for former Weber State basketball star Dillon Jones.
With the 2024 draft three weeks away, most predictions at present place Jones within the early second spherical. He has a couple of extra weeks to show his distinctive skillset and unusual method to the sport by way of exercises and interviews with particular person groups.
This time round, Jones not too long ago accomplished visits to the Indiana Pacers, Portland Path Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
It’s a deeper course of than he skilled final summer season.
In Might 2023, Jones was a late addition to the G League Elite Camp, the place he performed so effectively that he was one of some invited to stay in Chicago for the NBA Draft mix. He received sufficient curiosity that his determination to remain within the draft or return to Weber State grew to become a really difficult one.
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Nam Y. Huh, Related Press
Weber State’s Dillon Jones, left, drives previous former Memphis participant David Jones after a steal in the course of the NBA draft mix Might 15, 2024, in Chicago.
Jones finally withdrew within the remaining hours earlier than the 2023 deadline and, in his remaining season at Weber State, grew to become the primary males’s Division I participant in not less than 31 years to whole 600 factors, 300 rebounds, 160 assists and 60 steals in a single season.
He completed excessive in all main WSU profession classes (fifth in factors, third in rebounds, second in assists, first in steals and second in free throws) and forwent his remaining season of school eligibility to show professional within the 2024 draft.
In two video games at this yr’s mix in mid-Might, Jones totaled 13 factors, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, two steals and three turnovers on a median of 21.5 minutes per sport. He shot 3 of 12 total, 0 of 4 from the 3-point line and seven of 9 from the charity stripe.
Jones earned excessive marks from a number of writers for his defensive stress and playmaking. Although his capturing efficiency was subpar, Jones shot effectively sufficient in his post-combine exercise that one marketing consultant in attendance posted a video on X whereas saying Jones “had probably the most spectacular 3pt capturing performances of the day at @RocNationSports Professional Day on the NBA Mix.”
It helps that Jones examined effectively in each measure doable in the course of the drill portion of the mix. Including to his plus-7 wing span (7 inches extra wingspan than peak), Jones had year-over-year will increase of his max vertical leap (4 1/2 inches) and his standing vertical (3 1/2 inches), and shaved two- to three-tenths of a second off every of his 3/4-court dash, shuttle run and lane agility assessments.
It additionally helps that scores of NBA scouts had been in attendance for Jones’ most spectacular nights within the 2023-24 season after he opened the marketing campaign with a 29-point, 10-rebound efficiency in an upset win at Saint Mary’s.
The primary such scout-heavy evening got here at dwelling towards Montana. With the self-admitting Griz making an attempt to tough Jones up and the sport slogging by way of a single-digit tie by way of the primary 10 minutes, the Weber State star ignited an eventual 93-63 rout by slamming a thunderous chase-down block off the backboard, then swishing a 3-pointer seconds later on the different finish.
Regardless of a poor capturing evening, Jones totaled 15 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists — and one draft analyst stated “that’s all I wanted to see” concerning the block-and-3 sequence.
The second well-scouted sport was at dwelling towards South Dakota State. Jones caught hearth from 3 within the first half (ending 4 of 5) and had SDSU chasing the ball in a 23-point, six-rebound, nine-assist efficiency — regardless of Jones being within the locker room for a piece of time within the second half.
Jones ultimately swished a brief fadeaway on the buzzer to defeat the eventual Summit League champions, led by gamers who’ve since transferred to Kansas (Zeke Mayo) and UCLA (William Kyle III).
The third time got here a couple of nights later in Oklahoma when Jones shot 10 of 13 on two-pointers, totaled 26 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, and the Wildcats ended the nation’s longest dwelling profitable streak at Oral Roberts.
Within the remaining such sport, which had 13 NBA scouts in attendance, Jones electrified the Dee Occasions Middle with 30 factors, 23 rebounds and 9 assists, twice main WSU out of late-game and additional time deficits for a house victory.
The one different gamers previously 5 years to whole 30-plus factors, 20-plus rebounds and eight-plus assists in a sport are LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What Jones did when the lights turned on must be exhausting to neglect for the groups who invested cash to scout him in particular person.
One other factor doubtless to assist Jones is his interview abilities. In public media availability at latest stops, Jones displayed thoughtfulness.
In Portland, Jones imparted issues he’s discovered from his brother, European professional Eric Washington.
“(My brother) sees lots of people that will scrap and claw to be in these environments. I’m (lucky) sufficient to be able to be in these services, be in these gyms, assembly these folks. So deal with it like a possibility,” Jones stated. “While you had been youthful and also you thought you’ll be right here, you’ll suppose it’s the very best factor on the earth. So now that it’s right here, don’t suppose that it’s tiring since you’re going from flight to flight and issues like that. Simply … deal with it like the best alternative on the earth.”
When requested about probably sitting behind others earlier than getting his on-court NBA alternative, Jones sounded loads like former Portland star and fellow WSU alum Damian Lillard.
“Simply keep gracious and keep prepared,” Jones stated. “Be a selfless participant, if I’m being trustworthy, as a result of there could possibly be instances whenever you don’t play for 20 video games. These are the moments which might be going to point out who you actually are as a participant and a professional. While you get that chance, you’ve received to be able to play.”
And echoing Lillard much more strongly when requested about his prolific school profession and doable expectations for him as a professional:
“You’ve simply received to have actual inside confidence in who you suppose you’re. You may’t have your confidence based mostly on what different folks say about you, it’s received to be from inside — the work you place in, issues like that,” Jones stated. “While you get in these environments just like the exercises, the mix or no matter, you’ve simply received to placed on show what you’ve already executed.”
In Indiana, Jones defined how 4 years at Weber State ready him to be a professional.
“I feel you get used to determining learn how to elevate your teammates’ degree, making an attempt to push folks alongside and convey folks with you. Even once I didn’t do this at my finest, I had folks round me who was preventing me, making an attempt to get me to do this, present me learn how to do it even once I didn’t know learn how to at instances,” Jones stated. “That’s what you get going to high school at Weber State. You get that in-home, actual love in a way the place when you’re not at your finest, they attempt to get you there.
“The place I’m making an attempt to go, they knew my objectives and issues like that. They had been in a position to preach that to me, speak to me and ensure on daily basis I’m making an attempt to get to that time. If I wasn’t doing it, slacking, they might get on me. I feel when you’re at an even bigger college, that relationship and communication and dialogue isn’t as direct as that. That was large.”
Experiences have Jones with extra previous or future exercise dates lined up with the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
The NBA Draft, now a two-day occasion, begins Friday, June 26, with the primary spherical on ABC and ESPN. The second spherical is Saturday, June 27, on ESPN.
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