He had emerged, energetic, athletic, fiery and talented, the starting power forward on the No. 4 seed, 2013-2014 Houston Rockets, getting ready to play his first meaningful playoff minutes. He was the lone remnant of one of the most fascinating draft classes in any team's recent history: Jeremy Lamb, a key piece of the package to acquire James Harden; Royce White, a tragic, cautionary tale if ever there was one on banking on talent over personal readiness for a pro basketball career; and Jones.
He'd played most of his rookie year in the D-League as Harden emerged as a superstar and the Rockets squeaked into the playoffs as an 8-seed before falling to the Thunder.