Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Derrick Jones carving out NBA career the hard way

Derrick Jones

John Locher / AP

The Phoenix Suns’ Derrick Jones Jr. reacts during an NBA summer league game against the Sacramento Kings, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Las Vegas.

Midway through the fourth quarter of the Phoenix Suns’ summer league game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, second-year forward Derrick Jones got a reminder of just how difficult life in the NBA can be.

Jones was back at the Thomas & Mack Center, just two years removed from his high-flying one-and-done season with the Rebels, and he was ready to do what he does best. In transition, he received a pass at the top of the key, took one power dribble down the open lane and leaped off an imaginary trampoline, intending to inflict serious damage on the rim.

But before Jones could throw down the kind of vicious dunk that became a regular occurrence during his college days, Kings’ rookie power forward Jack Cooley slid into his path and grounded Jones with a rough foul.

No dunk, no “Airplane Mode,” no eruption from the fans. Instead, Jones absorbed the hard contact from the 6-foot-9, 246-pound Cooley, finished over the top and crash-landed on the floor. Then Jones had to pick himself up and trudge to the free-throw line to earn his and-1 the hard way.

That’s the harsh reality Jones has been faced with since declaring for the pros last spring. Nothing comes easy in the NBA, where highlight finishes come with contusions. After going undrafted in 2016, Jones has had to scratch and claw for every opportunity to stick in the league.

Last year, Jones was invited to the Suns’ training camp and surprisingly performed well enough to earn a spot on the opening day roster, but his role was tenuous. Most of his season was spent in the D-League, though he did gain some notoriety by finishing second in the All-Star dunk contest.

By the time his rookie season was over, he had appeared in 32 games for the Suns (eight starts) and scored 5.3 points per contest. Now he’s back in Las Vegas, trying to convince the Phoenix brass that he’s worthy of a full-time roster spot and an expanded role this season.

Jones has spent the offseason trying to hone his skills. At UNLV, Jones was able to run the floor freely and dunk on overmatched opponents. At the NBA level, he realizes he’s got to perfect the rest of his game in order to become an effective player.

“Everything,” Jones said when asked what he’s working on in the offseason. “My jump shot isn’t where it could be. My ball-handling can get better. And my defense, even though I’m a defensive stopper, my defense can get a lot better. I’m just trying to work on my all-around game because I want to be that two-way player.”

If Jones ever needs a reminder of how hard it is to make it in the NBA, he only has to look down the bench. UNLV alums Christian Wood and Chris Obekpa are also playing for the Suns in the Vegas summer league, and like Jones, they’ve had to cling to the tiniest of opportunities. Wood has bounced between the D-League and two NBA franchises in his first two seasons, while Obekpa has yet to make an NBA team. On Friday, Obekpa scored zero points in 10 minutes, while Wood barely saw the court, scoring two points in four minutes.

Jones was more productive in his time, scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds in 26 minutes. The 6-foot-7 swingman also spent much of the game defending lightning-quick Sacramento rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox, showing his defensive versatility.

More performances like that will go a long way toward diverting Jones from the journeyman’s path and earning him a coveted guaranteed NBA contract.

Jones is willing to work for it.

“I’ve always had a work ethic,” he said. “Since I’ve been [at UNLV], I’ve always been in the gym, every day, 24/7, getting shots up after practice, before practice. I never took a day off when I was here and it’s paying off right now.”

Clear lanes are a thing of the past for Jones. A second-year undrafted prospect like Jones is always going to have someone like Cooley in his way from now on, ready to dish out punishment and make him earn it.

Jones is embracing it, and he is committed to making his NBA dream a reality, even if he has to continue doing it the hard way.

“I can’t complain at all,” Jones said. “The things that I’ve done in the past year — everybody that I’ve known doubted me and said I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’m doing it now and I feel like I’m going to stay in this league for a long time.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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