High-flying Jones becomes difference-maker on boards
There hasn’t been an invitation to this year’s Slam Dunk Contest yet, but Derrick Jones Jr.’s athleticism has earned him something else.
A spot in the Heat’s rotation.
After starting the season as a situational player, Jones has become a consistent part of Miami’s rotation because of his athleticism and versatility on both ends of the court. Entering Tuesday’s contest against the Bucks that kicks off a four-game trip for the Heat (21-20), the 6-7 forward has played in 17 of the past 18 games.
Jones, a 21-year-old who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2016, has found a skill he can excel with the help of his leaping ability and relentlessness. Nicknamed “Airplane Mode” because of his high-flying game, Jones has turned himself into one of the NBA’s top offensive rebounders at his position.
“He has a knack,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “Some people just got a knack for the ball. He’s one of those guys. He has great timing, but he goes every time. He goes every time, and he might get one or two a game. But a lot of times, he opens up things for other guys.
“But it’s just having a great knack and it’s a will to go in there and do the tough things.
“It’s hard to crash every time and then you got to get back, but he does it. He’s definitely been that bright spot for our team probably every night just because of that, outside of his ability to dunk and his ability to play the game of basketball. But just his ability to crash every play, it changes our team.”
Jones is averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds (two offensive rebounds) this season.
Since becoming a consistent part of Miami’s rotation, he has averaged 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds (2.6 offensive rebounds) and 1.4 steals in 17 games since the start of December.
The Heat has outscored teams by 68 points with Jones on the court during this stretch, which is the second-best plus-minus on the team behind Justise Winslow (plus-120).
Among the players who stand 6-7 or shorter and have played in more than 10 games this season, Jones has grabbed the offensive rebound on a league-best 9.2 percent of Miami’s misses when he’s on the court.
“If I crash the offensive glass 20 times and I get only one rebound, I’m probably crashing and I’m probably going to open up a rebound for one of my teammates like Bam [Adebayo], Hassan [Whiteside] or [Kelly Olynyk] or [James Johnson] whenever we’re on the floor together,” Jones said. “If I crash a lot, then the main focus is probably going to be on me. Or if Bam crashes, the main focus is going to be on him. So they got to pick their poison.”
It’s that mentality that has the Heat averaging the third-most offensive rebounds with 12.1 per game. This is new for the Heat, which has been ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive rebounds in seven of the past eight seasons.
But it’s been a part of Miami’s formula this season, with offensive boards helping to create extra opportunities for a Heat offense that owns the third-worst team shooting percentage at 44 percent.
“More rebounds, more offensive rebounds, more points. More chances to get points. That’s real simple,” Jones said. “We just want to crash the glass as much as we can.”
That’s exactly what Jones has done, and it’s earned him consistent playing time.
Next, Jones hopes his improved on-court productivity paired with his athleticism earns him a spot in February’s Slam Dunk Contest.
He wants an opportunity to redeem himself after finishing as the runner-up in the 2017 Slam Dunk Contest.
“If they call me for it, I’m definitely doing it because some people would say that’s a once-ina-lifetime deal,” Jones said. “It would be my second time getting there if it happens, and I’ll never decline that.”
Anthony Chiang: 305-376-4991, @Anthony_Chiang