Taylor Jenkins has high-praise for former Pacer

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers play their fourth and final preseason game of the year against a division foe, the Milwaukee Bucks.

While several of the faces have changed for Milwaukee after trading away Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, four former Pacers are on the Bucks roster: Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, Kameron Jones and assistant coach Johnny Carpenter.

During the pregame media availabilty session, Jenkins shared his early impressions on Jones through the summer and preseason.

"I've been very impressed with Kam," Jenkins said. "Got a little dose of him out in Summer League. He's been very intentional about his work all summer long. I was talking to him the other day and I love the growth he's shown on the offensive side of the ball."

This is the first preseason Jones has been able to participate in. Last year, he was dealing with a back injury that held him out of action until late December, so being healthy from the jump is a big benefit for his development.

Coach Jenkins complimented his performance against the Chicago Bulls earlier this week where he scored 23 points on 9-14 shooting in 22 minutes. Jones was more of a scorer than a facilitator as he only had one assist compared to three tunrovers.

Getting these preseason reps are important for everyone, but especially young guards who are still learning the ins and outs of the league. While there are still areas to improve upon, Jenkins has seen growth in his point guard.

"Being more of a playmaker, a decision maker, being confident in the reads out there," Jenkins said. "We're trying to keep things simple. I think he's attacking it and he had a really good game the other night in Chicago."

The Bucks' roster has several young guards on it, and if Jones wants to see the floor he will have to buy-in on the defensive side.

"His defensive presence, the requirement it's going to take for him to eventually be on the floor for us it has to be on the defensive side," Jenkins said. "It's full-court pressure, on-ball defense and guarding different matchups. His help defense (and) his communicating are coming into form with a new coach and new system, but we're very impresed."

Overall, Jenkins is happy with the progress Jones has made and hopes that he can continue to grow in year two.

"Dude loves to compete," Jenkins said. "I think he plays the right way and he's been a great teammate. Hopefully he can continue to build on that as he heads into year two."

Final Thoughts

The Indiana Pacers’ former No. 38 overall pick is hoping to find a place in Milwaukee, the city where he played his collegiate basketball, after struggling to find a home in Indiana.

Jones, despite his relatively short NBA career, has received praise for his exceptional teamwork with two different franchises in less than two seasons. This speaks volumes about his character and potential. If he can combine his basketball skills with his character, he has the potential to carve out a role in the league.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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