Indiana Pacers rookie guard Kam Jones didn’t make his NBA debut until late December because of a back injury and saw limited action in January, but he has played in each of Indiana’s last nine games, averaging 26.6 minutes per contest during that stretch.
As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes in a subscriber-only story, Jones has capitalized on the increased opportunity, drawing praise from head coach Rick Carlisle, who said the 2025 second-round pick has a “knack for making intelligent basketball plays.”
Carlisle also noted that Jones is now in significantly better physical condition compared to earlier in the season.
“It’s hard to really understand if you’re a fan watching from afar how difficult it is to have a two-month head start that everybody gets on you from a conditioning and rhythm standpoint,” Carlisle said.
“Really he was unable to do anything on the floor that required running or pounding because of the back situation. You’re seeing now that he’s getting into some real condition.
Jones has played 1 season for the Pacers. He has averaged 4.0 points and 2.1 assists in 23 regular-season games.
Pacers Notes: Jackson, Furphy, Jones, Siakam https://t.co/BSiBZ5ENvQ pic.twitter.com/EtydECjb9o
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 26, 2026
