Hornets first-rounder Kai Jones delivers dunk of the year candidate in Summer League debut

We are in the first week of NBA Summer League and already have a dunk of the year candidate.

Kai Jones, selected 19th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021 draft, made his Summer League debut Sunday. It turned out to be a very loud debut, as Jones did this in the fourth quarter:

Anytime you can score a basket in a way that reduces the play-by-play announcer to a string of sounds that are more hoots than words, you know you've done something special.

Jones finished the game, a 93-86 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting with 10 rebounds and two assists. The athletic big man played two seasons at Texas, averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from deep as a sophomore. His defense also earned strong reviews from evaluators.

The Hornets made a significant move to grab Jones on draft night, trading a future first-round pick to the New York Knicks for the No. 19 pick. The Hornets also took UConn wing James Bouknight in the first round with their 12th overall pick.

As the Hornets try to build around reigning Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, finding younger complements to Ball's game will be essential to take the next step. Jones would easily fit that bill if he hits on his potential as a rim-running threat with respectable 3-point shooting and multi-positional defending.

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