Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyus Jones is proving he’s a keeper
By Ethan Becker
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones has surpassed all expectations as of late, and is proving that he should be kept in the rotation moving forward
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been on a downward spiral of late, splitting their last four games and they’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. With a Rockets game and two Warriors games in their near future, it doesn’t seem like things are going to get any better either.
There are, of course, a few bright spots in their franchise however. Obviously, the play of Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of them, but one bright spot that has flown under the radar recently has been the play of young guard Tyus Jones.
This is Jones’ fourth season in the league, all of which have been with the Timberwolves. Jones was drafted with the 24th pick in the 2015 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wolves would later trade for the Minnesota born Jones with a deal that saw the Wolves’ 31st and 36th picks, which would become Cedi Osman and Rakeem Christmas respectively, to the Cavs.
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Since then, Jones has been making the Cavs regret that transaction.
With the exception of his sophomore season, Jones’ stats have improved across the board every year. This season, he’s averaging six points, 1.3 steals, 4.2 assists, on 40 percent shooting from the field and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range. Jones has certainly made his mark coming off of the bench for a Minnesota team that has struggled at its point position since the departure of Ricky Rubio.
In his last five games, two of which the Wolves have needed him to start in, Jones has exceeded the expectations that were set for him during the first half of the season. In that span, Jones has been averaging 10 points, one steal, and almost five assists, all on 52 percent shooting from the field and 55 percent from 3-point. He also hasn’t missed a free throw, capitalizing whenever he is sent to the line.
With Wolves guards Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose both being sidelined with injuries, Jones has stepped up to the plate and tried his best to propel this Minnesota team to victory, with limited success. However, it’s fair to say that the Wolves’ recent rough stretch can hardly be attributed to Jones.
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With Rose, Teague, and Jones all in the final year of their contract, it is pivotal that the Wolves retain at least two of those three, and with Jones’ recent play, he seems to be making a strong argument for why Minnesota should stay with him.