Colby Jones successfully set the tone in 82-70 win over Utah

Jul 16, 2024, 5:00 PM | Updated: 5:00 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Colby Jones #20 of the Sacramento King dribbles the ball up cour...

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Sactown Sports writer

Second-year guard Colby Jones had a tough start to Summer League this season, but in the Sacramento Kings’ second game in Las Vegas, he showed promise, recording 25 points, six rebounds, and three steals on 10/21 from the field, including 4/12 from beyond the arc.

“I just tried to come out and set the tone on the defensive end, and I feel like the guys that came in kept that energy up,” Jones said postgame.

Their most recent lottery pick, Devin Carter, crashed Jones’ postgame interview to compliment his performance in the showing against the Utah Jazz.

“Ya’ll see how many threes he made today?” Carter said. “I had to get up and dap him up for one of them.”

Colby Jones was talking after his effective plays throughout the matchup, which he claimed was a response to the opposing bench having words when he attempted shots near their sideline.

That energy was exactly what his team fed off of, with two-way player Mason Jones providing something similar.

As mentioned earlier, a slow start for Jones led to floating concerns about his offseason growth. Summer League head coach Doug Christie shared that after their first performance in Vegas, the second-year guard texted him, saying, “That’s as bad as I’m gonna play, and I’ll be better for you, coach.”

Clearly, Colby Jones kept his word but will need to keep up his encouraging playing as the summer activities continue. With a minimum of three games remaining in Las Vegas, he has a chance to continue to build a case for being in the main club’s rotation in 2024-25.

Following a similar mold of Keon Ellis, Jones is getting more comfortable working on the ball offensively and finding the balance of being aggressive in looking for his own shot, while also involving his teammates in the action.

When is the next Sacramento Kings off-season date of interest?

The Kings’ Las Vegas Summer League slate continues on Wednesday afternoon with a matchup against the New York Knicks. Action is set to tip off at 12:30 PM PDT and will be broadcast on NBA TV.

Sactown Sports 1140 will have all of your Sacramento Kings coverage for the Las Vegas Summer League, free agency, and much more!