Tre Jones Receives Manu Ginobili Comparisons from Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones continues to prove his unmatched importance to the team early in the season. It's clear coach Gregg Popovich has taken notice.

The jury was still out on San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones during the offseason.

A solid end to his second year in the league last season left reason for optimism about his continued growth with a rebuilding team, though his projected contributions were seen as nothing more than potentially providing key depth. But the shocking offseason trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks in June opened up a door of opportunity for Jones that had previously not existed, and door that swung even wider on Friday after the earth-shattering release of Josh Primo.

The point guard role is now completely Jones' to command as the Spurs boast a 4-2 record following a 129-124 home win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. He posted 11 points, four rebounds and a game-high eight assists while earning some legendary-like praise from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the process, who has clearly taken notice of the impact Jones has had early this season.

"He's got a lot of those traits that Manu had," Popovich said of Jones after the win. "He just does things that win basketball games cause of his heart."

It's hard to argue that Jones has quickly emerged as the heart of this year's team. While it's Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell that have solidified themselves as alphas, Jones remains the all-important clog that keeps the ship steady.

He's the floor general of a Spurs team that currently leads the NBA in assists per game (31.8) and is third in points per game (119.8). The reigning top-seeded Phoenix Suns (29.8 assists) and defending champion Golden State Warriors (29.4) are sharing the ball at an efficient rate as well but are still averaging a full two assists less than the Spurs, who are driven by the team-leading 4.8 assists of Jones.

Averages should obviously be taken with a grain of salt this early in the season when it comes to both high and low averages, but the Spurs have continued to impress against competition that, on paper, they should be losing to.

But Jones has proven that his improvement goes beyond what the early numbers have to say, as he's displayed visible additions to his game like a few flashes of catch-and-shoot ability from deep that wasn’t present last season. He's not looking to the 3-point shot as his first option, and instead has shown impressive poise to find the right play at the right time.

"That's who he is. He's just a stud," Popovich said. "He's gonna do everything he can to win, doesn't matter what it is."

With five hits from beyond the arc six games into the new season, Jones has already got half of his total 3-point makes from last year.

Five turnovers against the Bulls was a new season-high mark for a guy that rarely gave the ball away last season. Of course, in an increased role on a team that shares the ball as much as the Spurs have, Jones is bound for more turnovers based on his usage.

But the Manu comparisons mean that Jones will have his handful of mistakes, ones that’ll he'll be destined to make up in no time. It's what the Hall of Famer did countless times during his legendary career.

The Spurs host the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night at the AT&T Center for a 6 p.m. CT tip. It will mark the third time in six days that the Spurs and T-Wolves will face off.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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