Why Mason Jones is in line to become the Rockets’ next star

The real value of Mason Jones to the Houston Rockets

Mason Jones went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, and it’s rare for undrafted players to show the kind of potential that Jones has. If he fulfills even a portion of the promise that he showed against the Spurs, then the Rockets got very lucky to find a player so young and so cheap to have in the fold for the next few seasons.

Due to his age, if he has a good experience in Houston in the first year of his career, the Rockets may have found another solid young piece to surround Christian Wood with going forward in the post-Harden era. Jones does not even have to become an All-Star for that to be true, as even just a solid, dependable, and young rotational piece is an incredibly valuable building block.

Throughout his short tenure with the Rockets, Jones has demonstrated a lot of confidence both on and off the court. This confidence was present even before he played a single minute for the Rockets.

https://twitter.com/masonjones2/status/1329312351460470785

Confidence in a player’s own game is crucial to their development in the league, and that is one of the most significant challenges many rookies face coming out of college. With several veterans on the team and a personable young coach in Stephen Silas, Jones should have a constructive environment in which to maintain his confidence and further develop his game.

With the painful but necessary departure of James Harden from the Houston Rockets organization, fans need new faces to give them optimism about the future for the team. Christian Wood, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins are playing a part in providing that optimism.

However, given more playing opportunities and substantive development, Mason Jones can contribute to the optimism of the post-Harden era as well. If Saturday night is any indication of what is to come from Jones, he could very well be one of the biggest steals for the Rockets in the 2020-21 season.