SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs' Tre Jones is on a personal streak having poured in double-figure scoring in seven-straight games.
His latest was 16 points against Sacramento Sunday night in a loss and the streak includes a back-to-back 20-point outburst against the Grizzlies and Warriors.
Slowly but surely, Jones' offensive game is developing and he is emerging as one of the top scorers on the roster.
And his teammates are noticing.
"He's very aggressive and he's very fast. That's a problem right there," Poeltl said. "He's a really tough finisher. He's got all different kinds of finishes. If you sag off him, he's got a great floater. If you step up, he's got a quick step and then a quick layup. Different types of reverse finishes."
Over that seven-game span, Jones is averaging 19.1 points per game off 49-percent shooting. This ranks him tied for No. 17 among West starting guards in the last seven outings.
"I know from preseason and from practices, he's tough to guard in those situations," Poeltl added.
Jones is averaging a career-high 13.8 points per game through 43 games played and has upped his offensive production to a career-high 17.5 points per game through eight games played in January.
His confidence is rising, and his scoring is improving as the season moves forward but it is also not a surprise to teammate Josh Richardson.
"In training camp, I told everybody that he was playing a lot more confidently," Richardson said. "He was shooting the three like he wants to shoot it, and he's getting downhill whenever he wants."
Are there areas of his offensive game that need work? Of course.
Jones is shooting a mere 28 percent from the three-point line but in the last seven games, he's starting to find his shooting stroke.
Against Golden State in the Alamodome, he went 2-2 from the three-line. He also went 2-5 from behind the arc against Memphis on Jan. 11.
But that will be a work in progress for the third-year pro.
However, he makes up for the lack of a consistent three-shot by spreading out his scoring opportunities.
Currently, he's hovering a little over 65 percent of his scoring off two-point shots. 16.4 percent of his scoring comes off fast breaks. 17.4 percent of his scoring is off free throws with 16.9 percent scoring from points off turnovers and 58.1 percent of scoring from inside the paint.
And the bulk of his scoring comes off unassisted field-goal makes at 60.5 percent.
"I'm not really surprised by it," Richardson said. "I'm happy for him and I am proud of him."
Jones is also facilitating scoring opportunities with a career-high in assists (6.4 per game) and dishing out eight in the recent game versus the Kings.
He also made plays similar to former NBA guard, Steve Nash, during the game against the Kings that Richardson noticed.
"He started with six assists in the first period," Richardson said, "He made a [Steve] Nash move in the first quarter. I pointed it out to him during a timeout."
That is a pretty high compliment for a player who was selected late in the second-round No. 41 overall in 2020.
And with all eyes on Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell to take leaps in their pro-career this season, lately, it's been Jones who is taking huge steps.
"I think he's shown a lot of growth, He has a ways to go and I am definitely proud of him," Richardson said.
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