The Draft Dimension: Minnesota adds Alexis Jones with future in mind
By Mike Peden
After two years of generating headlines through trades, the Minnesota Lynx treated this year’s draft with a dose of tranquility.
The Lynx chose Alexis Jones from Baylor in the first round, but with cap space locked up by the plethora of veterans, their remaining picks were used on a pair of 19-year-old future assets. Lisa Berkani of France was taken in the second round, and Tahlia Tupaea from Australia was selected in the third round.
“The timing is right for us to take a stab at something like that,” said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve.
For now, Jones will take a stab at making an impact on Minnesota’s roster. Her talent was recognized early. In 2012, she was a first team honoree on the USA Today All-USA high school girls basketball team. Her college career got off to a promising start at Duke, but she suffered an ACL tear toward the end of her sophomore season. Jones transferred to Baylor while she recovered and left a respectable impression when she resumed play, making the All-Big 12 First Team twice.
“She’s somebody that’s going to make a basketball play instinctively,” Reeve said. “She’s able to distribute the basketball. She’s fairly efficient.”
The stats back up Reeve’s assessment, as Jones improved her shooting consistency and passing abilities each season. Jones hit 41 percent from three-point range in her senior season (her effective field goal percentage was 50.3), and her assist-to-turnover ratio was a healthy 2.1. She can even get a few rebounds, as evidenced by her triple-double in a game against Oklahoma. In the Jan. 29 contest, Jones finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Reeve wasn’t sure if Jones would be available when Minnesota’s turn came in the draft, but she definitely welcomes the perimeter presence from the 5-foot-9-inch guard.
“That’s something this team needs. Every prospect we were looking at had that as an attribute,” Reeve said.
Few would dispute the cohesion on Minnesota’s offense, but they don’t carry many sharp-shooters. Last year, the Lynx ranked 11th in three-point attempts and makes, with Maya Moore usually the lone savior behind the arc. Opportunities for Jones to alter the trend will be limited, but the potential is there to open up space on Minnesota’s offensive sets.
Naturally, Jones won’t mind if wearing a Lynx uniform comes at the expense of playing time.
“That’s just an amazing group to be playing with,” she said in a media conference call. “I am positive about going to Minnesota. They are a winning team. I couldn’t be more excited to play on a veteran team with a lot of experience and great players.”
Jones believes her speed on both sides of the ball could aid the Lynx, and Reeve sees an athlete who can play the point or shooting guard slots. Since Minnesota can only field 11 players in order to stay under the salary cap, versatility is paramount, and Jones could offer that as the team aims for redemption after a gut-wrenching loss in last year’s WNBA Finals.
“Our focus is to make sure that we’ve got ourselves a player that can be a part of our future,” Reeve said.