Pacers GM Believes They Got First Round Talent in Second Round of NBA Draft

Recently, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan did an interview in which he broke down many of the pertinent storylines from this current offseason.

It wasn't surprising that Jones was the subject of plenty of conversation. He had a fantastic stretch in Las Vegas over the summer — showcasing playmaking ability. Buchanan went deeply into why he felt like Jones was a perfect fit for the Pacers.

For one, the team believes Jones was a first round talent that they happened to luck into grabbing in the upper-half of the second round. Buchanan raved about Jones and his makeup as a gritty, tough, team-first player.

Jones isn't someone that will 'wow' the average fan with elite quickness or terrific size for his position. However, that didn't matter all that much to the Pacers. The franchise seemingly was more concerned with getting a guard that fit their culture.

At Marquette, Jones demonstrated a willingness to play team-first basketball despite being one of the most gifted players in the college game. He'd dive on the floor for loose balls, rack up deflections, play suffocating defense, and above all else, play with tremendous energy.

It'll be interesting to see how Jones fares with the team this upcoming year. With the injury to Tyrese Haliburton, much of the on-ball responsibilities will sit with Nembhard and T.J. McConnell. Bennedict Mathurin will function as more of the off-the-bench scorer, with Aaron Nesmith being the wing stopper on the perimeter.

There's a world where Jones can carve out some minutes for himself with energy and effort. The Pacers are great in rewarding players for their hard work, and it would not be shocking a few years from now to see Jones develop into a very credible rotation player.

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