OKC Thunder's Dillon Jones demonstrates positional versatility

In recent seasons, Oklahoma City has had a knack for late draft steals. Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams and Lu Dort, although undrafted, were all Thunder success stories. While Dillon Jones While he doesn't necessarily fall squarely into that category given his late first-round status, he appears to be the next underrated prospect that could contribute to the Thunder's success.

Jones was a shining star during summer league action in Oklahoma City and has continued to impress throughout preseason and training camp. He's talked about his ability to fit into any lineup and any role, and he showed that early on.

“I would say my passing,” Jones said as he talked about some of his best qualities. “I think I have the ability to make plays, not just running plays, but singles and doubles and just moving the ball. I think that's a real strength of mine.

“I’ll definitely say my rebound. I have to say, after playing with everyone and being here in September, I think it's translated so far and I'll just continue to do that. I will say these two things specifically. Everything else just comes.”

On Thursday night, everything Jones described was on display. He played every position on the court, showcasing his versatility, but was listed as the team's power forward. He filled the stat sheet with 23 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks. In typical Thunder fashion, he was extremely efficient, shooting 8 of 13 from the floor and 2 of 3 from long range.

It was a similar story in Oklahoma City's first preseason game. He added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists on 8 of 11 shooting.

Jones may not have a specific position, but his best skill is the way he can fill in for any position group. With injuries piling up this year, Jones can shine in any situation. He can handle and rebound the ball better than most undersized forwards. Now he just has to wait for his chance.

“You just build a bond with your teammates and do what’s asked of you,” Jones said of his first-year prospects. “As a rookie, just try to be where you can, just fill in the gaps where you need to be, and of course my teammates will make my job on a good team a lot easier. “I'm looking forward to it.”

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