Jumaine Jones
Drafted by:
Atlanta, Round 1, pick 27. (Traded to Philadelphia for future first-round draft pick)

 
EXPERT ANALYSIS
  "Jumaine Jones is a collegiate scoring machine. He is long and athletic, and has run a sub five-minute mile in Georgias conditioning program. Jones has great quickness around the basket and is a superior offensive rebounder. In fact, Jones may have been the best offensive rebounder in the college game last season.

Jones carried a large load for the Bulldogs, and spent a lot of time on the perimeter instead of down on the blocks. He needs to improve his post-up game to be a multi-dimensional threat, rather than always relying on his perimeter shot. Jones is not yet a double-post player, opting to use the right block more often and usually to turn middle. Early in the season, then-coach Ron Jirsa had Jones start on the low block in order to get Jones more scoring opportunities around the basket, but Jones often floated back out on the perimeter.

Jones needs to show the ability to hit a pull-up jumper, and get to get all the way to the basket when he puts the ball on the floor. One question he must answer: Where will Jones play? He is probably best suited to be a small forward, but needs to work on his small forward skills. Jones must improve his handle and get better shots. There are not many better athletes in the draft, and Jones should be among the top 10 selections. The thing I like best about him is he competes and became more physical as the season wore on. The questions: Can he show the ability to put the ball on the floor and get good shots? Can he get out and defend on the perimeter?"
-- ESPN's Jay Bilas

College: Georgia
Height: 6-7
Weight: 210 pounds
Position: Forward
Age: 20 (Feb. 10, 1979)
Birthplace: Cocoa, Fla.

Career highlights

  • Early-entry candidate for the 1999 NBA draft
  • Named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press as a sophomore
  • Is the first sophomore at Georgia to record 1,000 points since Dominique Wilkins (Orlando Magic)
  • Recorded 28 double-doubles (points-rebounds) in two seasons
  • Was a member of the gold-medal-winning 1998 USA Goodwill Games team, starting all five games and averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds

    College highlights
    Sophomore

  • First-team All-SEC selection by both the conference coaches and AP
  • Led the team and the SEC in scoring, the first Georgia player since Vern Fleming (1984) to lead the conference in scoring
  • Scored 34 points vs. Kentucky
  • Had a seven game stretch early in the season when he averaged 26.7 points and 12.7 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line
    Freshman
  • Selected as AP SEC co-Freshman of the Year and Third Team All-SEC by AP and the conference coaches
  • Finished the season as the team's leading rebounder with 8.7 per game
  • Ranked among the SEC leaders in scoring (14.7 ppg, 9th), rebounding (8.5 rpg, 3rd), field goal percentage (.453, 6th) and free-throw percentage (.785, 3rd)
  • Had 27 points and 17 rebounds vs. then-No. 14 Arkansas
  • Became the first freshman at Georgia to start his first college game since Carlos Strong in 1992

    College statistics
    SEASON G FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT REB AST PTS AVG
    1997-9835188415.45395121.7852993051514.7
    1998-9930197443.445122168.7262843556418.8
    TOTALS65385858.449217289.75158365107916.6
    Three-point field goals: 1997-98, 44-for-124 (.355); 1998-99, 48-for-138 (.348). Totals, 92-for-262 (.351).











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