Do the Stanford Cardinal Have Two 2023 NBA Draft Prospects?

Making the case for Spencer Jones as an NBA 3-and-D role player.

Returning sophomore Harrison Ingram is currently drawing the most draft buzz out of Stanford, but he is not the only Cardinal who has a potential NBA future.

Spencer Jones is going to have to overcome being a senior, often a big drawback when evaluating a draft prospect, and lack of elite vertical pop. However, when you peel those away you see the makings of an NBA 3-and-D player.

Jones' shooting mechanics immediately stand out, and not in a good way, but at the end of the day he makes shots. In his three year college career he is shooting 40% from the 3-point line on over 450 attempts.

Even more impressive is the variety of screens he has been utilized in and shots he has made out of these play types. At 6-foot-7 you can even use him as an on ball screener who pick-and-pops or ghosts the screen for an open look.

The cherry on top with Jones shooting is his ability to make shots with a defender right in his face. Again, he is 6-foot-7 with a high release and seemingly no regard for the contest affecting the outcome of his shot.

The second part of the 3-and-D archetype is even more impressive for Jones. He may not be a true lock down defender but he is going to be extremely versatile. Turn on the 2021-2022 film and you can watch him guard everyone from Isaiah Mobley, to Bennedict Mathurin, to 5-foot-11 Washington St. guard Tyrell Roberts.

It is important to note that Jones will be labeled as an average athlete, when in actuality he just does not possess great vertical pop and explosion. Athletically, on the defensive end, he shows a really nice ability to flip hips and stay in front of the ball handler.

This type of versatility should be extremely valuable to any NBA team but especially a team that deploys a switch heavy scheme.

The Stanford prospect also provides value as an off the ball, all around, team defender. He possesses very good awareness and a high basketball IQ that puts him in a very good position when making rotations.

Even if Jones continues to excel with his 3-point shooting and defensive acumen to prove his value in a 3-and-D role, he will still have to show ancillary skills that translate to the NBA. This is where the real questions about his game will come into play.

As good of a shooter as he is, he does not leverage that shooting often enough to create opportunities for pull up jumpers or finishes at the rim.

As mentioned earlier, he does not have great vertical explosion so the finishing around the rim will have to be done in a more nuanced and skilled way. Continued development of step throughs, shot fakes and more will be important for him as he moves into the NBA.

Spencer Jones may not be the most exciting prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft but 3-and-D role players rarely are. 

Just because he is not some crazy on ball creator, scorer, or elite athlete that changes the trajectory of a franchise does not mean he can not provide value. Is that first round value?

Not without a huge senior year, but it is value a team would love to have in the second round or UDFA.

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