Pacers Rookie Kam Jones Expected to Make Immediate Impact

The Indiana Pacers took Kam Jones out of Marquette during the NBA Draft second round and an NBA insider sees him potentially contributing next season.

Jones is a guard who comes out as a senior at the age of 23. He plays with a good sense of maturity due to his age and comes out more ready to contribute compared to a raw teenager.

The Pacers are going to be without Tyrese Haliburton for the upcoming season after the guard tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The team is likely to keep most of its pieces intact — waiting for their franchise cornerstone and offensive engine to come back.

Since Haliburton will be out, Jones could assume some of those minutes at some point in the season.

NBA insider Brett Siegel predicts Jones will do just that:

"Indiana did select Kam Jones from Marquette in the second round of the NBA Draft, and there is a path to him seeing key minutes early in his rookie campaign next to TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard in the backcourt," Siegel wrote in an article.

"There has been no talk of the Pacers being linked to veteran free agent guards like Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, or Tyus Jones, despite speculation on social media, sources said."

The Pacers should give Jones a bigger platform to get used to NBA physicality and speed. He will need some time to get his bearings, but there are plenty of skills that should carry over quickly.

He can create his own shot off the dribble, finish well at the rim, and shoot 38.1 percent from spot-up 3-point shots. Jones plays physical defense as well, moving his feet and playing with a high effort level.

Jones's player profile fits well with Indiana, and under head coach Rick Carlisle, he could develop into a meaningful contributor for the team.

NBA senior analyst Kevin O'Connor compared the Marquette product to Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo — a player who contributes to winning and fulfills important roles on both ends of the court.

If Indiana gets a DiVincenzo-type guard in the second round, it will be another feather in the cap for the front office.

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