The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Kai Jones completed a dominant rookie season in the NBA G-League with the Greensboro Swarm and was recalled to the Charlotte Hornets following the season finale.

Jones finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four blocked shots, and two steals in the Swarm’s 119-113 loss to the Raptors 905 on April 2 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Ontario, Canada.

In 24 games with the Swarm this season, Jones averaged 18.3 points, 11 rebounds, two blocked shots, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 63 percent from the field and 31 percent from three point range.

The Swarm finished just 9-23 and will miss the G- League playoffs but Jones will join the club for the final week of the regular season.

Jones recently scored a career high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 139-119 win over the Long Island Nets on March 27 at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina.

He shot 12-18 from the field and 1-4 from three point range to go along with three blocked shots on the defensive end.

The 6’11 rookie forward has played sparingly in the NBA with the Hornets but has been one of the top players on the Swarm all season.

The no.19 pick in last year’s draft, Jones and the other members of the Hornets rookie class have played sparingly as the Hornets have chased a spot in the NBA playoffs.

The team is currently 40-38 and ranked no.9 in the Eastern Conference, 7-3 in their last 10 games.

In November, Jones scored the first points of his NBA career in the Hornets’ 133-115 November 26 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He made his first three point field goal of his NBA career in the Hornets’ 158-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on January 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.