The Milwaukee Bucks are gearing up for their fourth and final preseason game, a matchup against division rivals the Indiana Pacers. With several former Pacers now wearing Bucks colors—including Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, Kameron Jones, and assistant coach Johnny Carpenter—coach Taylor Jenkins shared his glowing early thoughts on guard Kam Jones.
Jenkins told media that he has been incredibly impressed with Jones’s summer and early preseason work. “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 healthy preseason Jones has participated in. After missing the start of his NBA career due to a back injury, being fully healthy from the jump is a major boost for his development. Jones showed off his scoring capability in a recent game against the Chicago Bulls, dropping 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 22 minutes off the bench.
While his offense has looked sharp, Jenkins noted that Jones still has areas to improve, particularly on the defensive end if he wants to see significant floor time. The Bucks have a crowded guard rotation, and earning minutes will require Jones to buy into the defensive system. “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 explained. “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 impressed.”
Despite the defensive challenges, Jenkins loves Jones’s mindset. “Dude loves to compete. 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,” the coach added. As the former No. 38 overall pick tries to establish himself in Milwaukee—the same city where he played college basketball—his strong character and hard work have teammates and coaches alike optimistic about his future.
