Affected in the hamstring, he still did not play with the Sixers last night against the Heat. A health problem while time is running out to Kai Jones : he only has ten days to convince the Philadelphia franchise to keep him until the end of the season.
“ It's an incredible opportunity. I'm lucky to be in this position and I'm very excited to play. For me, with this ten-day opportunity, it's about going at it, taking one shot at a time, one defensive possession at a time, understanding the coverages and the players as quickly as possible. I want to make a smooth transition to the NBA », says the interior, currently in the G-League, and who has come a long way.
After enigmatic and delusional messages on social networks, the interior of the Hornets, who had not really shone during his first two seasons in Charlotte, ended up being cut at the start of the current year. Today, Kai Jones, interviewed by Shams Charaniaputs this rupture down to “ lots of problems with communication and understanding » with his old franchise.
Silencing the negative voices in your head
Personal concerns too, since he experienced several deaths in his family (great-grandmother and great-grandfather) last summer. So he had to refocus on himself. “ It was as if I was pushing everyone away, everyone who seemed to me not to understand me, I was pushing them all away. So I felt very isolated. In this isolation you have to deal with the voices in your head and you have to learn to navigate those voices and calm down », Reports the player, drafted in 19th position in 2021.
His messages written on Twitter at the time, where he criticized his teammates in particular? “ I think I was trying to silence the negative voices in my head because, to be honest, I didn't want to die. He was one of the first people in my family that I saw die like that. I was like, 'What? I do not want to die. I want to live forever.' I try to pray really hard and the voices in my head say, 'You know, you could die if you don't hold on to life.' It was just a lot of confusion for me. »
If his level of self-confidence seems intact, Kai Jones seems to have a clearer mind, also thanks to psychological support. And this, in a rather favorable setting. In Philadelphia, he found his former teammate in Charlotte, Kelly Oubre Jr. “ It's up to us to welcome him with open arms, to let him know that we are his family “, formulates the wingerwho thinks he has “ certainly been the voice of reason for him in Charlotte “.
Take inspiration from veteran interiors
Buddy Hield, too, is no stranger to the new arrival: the two men played together with the Bahamas national team. “ Coming here, he'll be able to see veterans like Mo Bamba, Paul Reed, and if Joel (Embiid) comes back in time… he will be able to see how they work. He's a guy who belongs in this league », Judges the rear, praising extraordinary physical qualities.
So many arguments enough to convince the leaders of the Sixers? Nick Nurse first planned to test Kai Jones in the G-League, with the Delaware Blue Coats, before deciding. In two appearances with the affiliated team, the first of which under the eyes of the head coach, he averaged 11 points and 7.5 rebounds.
“ He does good things. He has size, athletic qualities. I don't know how many dunks he had the other night – probably five or six – and two of them were pretty big dunks. He seems to play his role well. He doesn't look like he's trying to do too much. […]. For his first match, it wasn't so bad », Qualified Nick Nurse.
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
