2025 NBA Draft: Kam Jones Scouting Report
Evaluating the Marquette combo guard ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
DRAFT EVALUATION: Late first rounder whose range starts in the mid-20s
NBA ROLE: Backup combo guard
REMINDS ME OF: Andrew Nembhard, less athletic Malik Monk
RAW STATS: 19.2 PTS, 4.5 REB (0.6o/3.8d), 5.9 AST to 1.9 TOV, 1.4 STL, 0.3 BLK, 2.2 PF in 33.8 MINS over 34 GAMES
ADVANCED STATS: 9.3 BPM, 29.2 USG%, 55.1 TS%, 2.1 OREB%, 13.6 DREB%, 38.1 AST%, 11.1 TOV%, 3.2 A/TO, 2.4 STL%, 0.9 BLK%
Background:
Birthday: Feb. 25, 2002
Height: 6-foot-51
Weight: 205 pounds
Currently in his fourth year at Marquette.
Played at Evangelical Christian School (Tennessee) in high school. Played for Team Thad on the AAU circuit.
Dad is Kevin, an Air Force master sergeant. Mom is Ericka.
Takeaway:
Kam Jones is the type of steady backup guard that NBA teams scour the draft for. His usage in the league will very likely go down, but he’s shown me enough to buy him becoming a sparkplug off the bench, an off-ball guard alongside another initiator, or a secondary unit leader.
Through Jones’ four years in college — and especially over the last two — he’s shown that he can both score and pass at a highly productive, yet very safe level. Jones is a risk-averse guard who lacks flash, but he’s really effective and efficient.
As a scorer, Jones takes shots at the rim or from three. He does not have a powerful first step or vertical jump, but he really knows how to get to his spots. Most of the time, this involves going right and then spinning to his left. Jones might be predictable in that he’s almost always looking to get to his preferred hand via that spin move, but defenses haven’t been able to stop him so far. This has been Kam’s signature move since high school.
From three, Jones is at his best spotting up. This facet of his game hasn’t been as prevalent this season since he is playing on-ball much more, but it will pop up again once he gets drafted. He’ll fit well next to high-volume playmakers. I wish Kam was a tiny bit more versatile in terms of drilling movement shots, running off screens, etc. but I’m comfortable with where he’s at. Then, the important thing to know with Jones’ scoring is that he does not take any midrange jumpers and, broadly, he does not really self-create pull-ups.
Jones has taken a huge step forward as a passer this season. This can be attributed to Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro leaving Marquette and going to the NBA. The ball goes entirely through Jones now, and the numbers and tape both support his growth as a playmaker. That said, I think Jones is a reliable and safe passer more than a facilitation wizard. This season, he’s been really good at running pick-and-pops with Ben Gold. He’s also been solid at getting into the paint and spraying the ball out to generate threes. Going forward, I’m curious about what he can do in the more traditional pick-and-roll (ideally with an above-the-rim big).
Jones’ defense doesn’t really move the needle one way or another. Broadly, he's engaged and disciplined. I think he's more effective off-ball right now, although part of that is also because he’s shouldering such an offensive load for Marquette. On-ball, I have some questions about his athletic profile. Jones still tries and he’s active, so he doesn’t make any glaring errors or anything, but he’s not particularly quick, strong, or crafty on defense. I also don’t think he has positional versatility outside of defending guards.
Offense:
Gets into the paint and to the rim a lot. Not a blow-by threat. Needs a screen most of the time.
Goes right, then spins to his left hand. Smart with how he uses the glass.
Process looks very similar nearly every single time. Worry is that this can get predictable, but college defenses haven’t been able to stop it for the most part.
NBA players and scouting reports will quickly catch on, though. Does he have counters? Process has sometimes looked murkier when weaked to his right hand.
Can drive into a short post-up and left hook. Plays with some contact, but not ultimately not that physical. I think this will stay in college.
Handle is very safe — he won’t get stripped or have avoidable turnovers — but not particularly creative or dynamic. I wish he could get lower to the floor to offset his lack of explosiveness.
Usage has really changed from junior to senior year. He’s playing as a lead guard right now, but makes more sense to project him as a combo who can play on- and off-ball. Usage will probably scale back down once he’s in the NBA.
This season: 43.3% of his possessions are as a pick-and-roll ballhandler / 13.3% spotting up
Last season: 28.4% as a pick-and-roll ballhandler / 21.3% spotting up
Makes spot-up threes when he plays off-ball. Has already proven that he can thrive next to a high-volume point guard (Tyler Kolek last year) or big (Oso Ighodaro). The same idea should apply with the primary initiating wings of the NBA.
Last season: 39.4 3P% (71/180) on catch-and-shoots
This season: 41.2 3P% (21/51) on catch-and-shoots
Doesn’t take midrange jumpers. Takes very few pull-ups as a whole, but especially from the middy.
0/1 on two-point "dribble jumpers" (per Synergy) this season. 0/1 last season, as well.
7/27 on three-point "dribble jumpers" this season (25.9%). Last season's 23/56 (41.1%) is more encouraging and shows that there could be some upside, but it's a small sample size.
Playmaking leap this season has been super impressive. He’s his team’s focal point while playing on-ball much more, and he’s managed to more than double his assist rate (16.6 AST% to 40.6 AST%) while also cutting down on turnovers (8.8 TOV% to 8.4 TOV%).
Pick-and-pop with Ben Gold is cash money. Good at drawing two defenders to the ball after using the screen, then hooking it back to Gold.
Timely and accurate with deliveries. Makes very few mistakes. Avoids unforced errors.
At the same time, I wish he took more risks. More so sturdy as a facilitator, rather than creative or even dominant.
Time on-ball will likely go back down once he’s in the NBA. Important takeaway is that he creates good shots and keeps his turnovers to a bare minimum — but he also probably won’t create as many advantages as his numbers might imply. Important to watch the tape on his passes.
Defense:
Engaged and generally disciplined on this end of the floor, but with some real athletic questions.
Positional defender on 1s and 2s. Plays with real effort, but will probably give up speed to a lot of NBA guards.
Too small and not strong enough for NBA wings. Not weak or soft — he doesn’t shy away from physicality — but threshold is just too high.
On the skinny side, but decent frame. Interesting note is that his high school coach Willie Jenkins (now at Lehigh) made him play center at times and also defend now-Clemson offensive lineman Dietrick Pennington (300+ pounds) in practice.
Reads the floor well. Can come up with steals when helping off his man. Can tag a roller, then execute an under-control closeout.
Good communicator calling out and executing switches.
1.6 steals per game this season (1.2 career average at Marquette)
This season, isn’t asked to do too much on defense since he has to sustain the team’s scoring and passing. What about when he needs to do more in the NBA?