5 things analytics say about Tyus Jones' game
5 things analytics say about Tyus Jones' game originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Wizards traded for Tyus Jones and in doing so appear to have found their starting point guard. He has been a longtime backup for the Timberwolves and Grizzlies, but in 94 career starts has shown he is capable of a larger role.
Before he steps into that position in Washington, let's examine Jones' game using numbers that go beyond the box score...
Protects the ball
Jones' most defining characteristic is his ability to limit turnovers. In fact, he is arguably one of the greatest players of all time at doing so. Jones has led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio in each of the past five seasons, maintaining his crown even as his minutes increased while filling in as a starter for 45 total games across the last two years.
Jones' assist-to-turnover ratio has been impressive throughout his career, but especially in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons. Jones set an NBA record in 2018-19 with a 6.96 AST/TO ratio and then topped it in 2021-22 at 7.04. Seven assists in between turnovers is not easy to do and this guy did it for an entire season.
Never dunks, loves floaters
Jones has not dunked in a game since 2017-18 and the two dunks he had that season are the only ones he has recorded in his entire eight-year NBA career. He is much more likely to score on a layup if he has an open path to the rim. What is also far more common from Jones is the use of a floater in the lane.
Jones shot 241 floaters last season per NBA tracking data. Compare that to 102 from Jordan Poole, who is expected to start alongside him in the Wizards backcourt. You can also compare that to 91 floaters last season from Monte Morris, whom Jones is projected to replace as the Wizards' primary point guard.
Pushes the pace
Jones played on a Grizzlies team last season that was fifth in pace (possessions per 48 minutes) and second in fastbreak points, so naturally he did a lot of his damage on the run. He was 15th in the NBA in percentage of points on the fastbreak (21.9) and posted an impressive 1.28 points per possession (PPP) in transition, which accounted for about 20% of his offense.
Last season the Wizards were 17th in pace and 26th in fastbreak points. It will be interesting to see if new personnel and guidance from a new front office changes that. The Thunder and Hawks, where general manager Will Dawkins and senior vice president of player personnel Travis Schlenk came from, ranked sixth and ninth last season in pace, per Basketball Reference. Meanwhile, the Clippers, where Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger departed, were 24th in pace. So, it could go either way.
The personnel may be a better indicator. Not only did Jones come from a faster offense, but so did Poole whose Warriors were second in pace. Bilal Coulibaly, the Wizards' seventh overall pick, is also particularly dangerous on the fastbreak with his size and speed.
More threes, good from corners
Jones' shot profile has included an increasing emphasis on shooting from beyond the arc. Nearly half (45.9%) of Jones' shot attempts last season were from 3-point range, the fourth straight year that percentage has gone up. He also shot a career-low 8.5% of his attempts at the rim last year. Now, attempting 45.9% of one's shots from three is not a crazy number by any means. Jones' new teammate, Corey Kispert, took 65.6% of his shots from the perimeter last year, for example. Still, the trajectory shows where Jones' career is going.
When it comes to where he shoots his threes from, Jones is very good in the corners. He shot 53% last season on corner threes, better than anyone did for the Wizards. Jones holds a 41.3 career percentage from the corners and that is in decent volume. Of his 1,176 total career attempts from the perimeter, 23.5% have been corner threes.
Pull-up jumpers vs. catch-and-shoot
In the reverse of what you often see from NBA players, Jones is a better shooter the more he dribbles. He shot a higher percentage last season on pull-up shots (44.4%) than he did on catch-and-shoot plays (37.6%). It's a consistent increase when you break it down by the dribble. Last year, Jones shot 37.8% on zero dribbles, 45.8% after one dribble, 51.6% after two dribbles and 49.1% on 3-to-6 dribbles.
He follows a similar track from 3-point range. Last season, he knocked down 37.4% of his threes on zero dribbles, 39.3% on one dribble, 44.4% on two dribbles and 41.7% on 3-to-6 dribbles. That could help a Wizards team that ranked 22nd in pull-up 3-point percentage last season.
