Russell Westbrook on Perry Jones III: 'He's a great, great player'

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Perry Jones III has impressed in preseason play. His performance, including an 8-for-10 shooting night against the Bobcats last Friday, has reporters asking OKC head coach Scott Brooks about how much playing time the Baylor alum will get for the defending Western Conference champions.

Brooks isn't ready to guarantee a rotation spot for Jones yet:

"And how good he played, he still backs up Kevin, so there aren’t a lot minutes," Brooks said. "We’re all excited. He did so many things well last game but still, he’s a rookie and Kevin’s pretty good."

The article also mentions the possibility of playing Jones III alongside Kevin Durant for a "smallball" lineup that isn't very small. The 6'9" Durant and 6'11" Jones would tower over a lot of teams at the 3 and 4, even if both are too slender to play the low post for extended minutes every night. Playing the two together at the 2 and 3 with Harden or Westbrook handling the ball and Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins handling the interior also sounds like a nightmare for opponents.

Jones III is still a rookie, but Russell Westbrook has no doubts about his talent. "He was supposed to be a top-two pick," Westbrook said Wednesday. The Thunder selected Jones 28th overall.