When the Magic signed Tyus Jones this offseason, this was supposed to be a match made in heaven for both sides. Jones has been in the top two of the league every year since 2019 in the assist/turnover ratio category. He was supposed to help Orlando's offense as a proven backup point guard, and to add a cherry on top of it all, he would be reunited with his former Grizzlies teammate, Desmond Bane.
Unfortunately, Jones has been a shell of himself to begin his Magic tenure, and Orlando may have to consider playing rookie Jase Richardson over him if his struggles continue.
Tyus Jones' struggles
Jones has been a proven veteran point guard in this game for a long time now and was supposed to make an immediate impact for this still young Orlando squad.
Jones has struggled throughout the preseason and the first two games of the regular season. In these first two contests, Jones averaged 21.5 minutes, 2.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, and shot a woeful 25.0 percent from the floor and 0 percent from 3-point range.
To make matters worse, when you look at his advanced analytics compared to the team, they're problematic. Jones, in these two games, has an offensive rating of 100.0 (8th), a defensive rating of 129.3 (10th), and a net rating of -29.3 (9th).
Granted, you can give Jones the benefit of the doubt as a veteran who's playing in a brand new system, maybe knocking off some early-season rust, and is playing with all brand new guys except for Bane.
Jones has higher expectations than many of the younger guys on the roster, and he simply needs to play better.
Jase Richardson waits
When the Magic selected Michigan State guard Jase Richardson with the 25th pick in this year's draft, it was viewed as a long-term investment. But with Richardson's impressive play in the preseason and Tyus Jones' poor play as of late, head coach Jamahl Mosley may have to make a tough decision.
In the Magic's first preseason game against the Heat, Richardson recorded 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while shooting five of 11 from the floor and a perfect three of three from behind the arc.
Richardson looked poised, calm, cool, and collected as a rookie getting his first minutes in an NBA preseason game. Jase also looked like the combo scoring guard off the bench that Orlando has desperately been searching for years.
Richardson continued to flash and show promise throughout the preseason, and he was making his case as a guy who should be getting minutes on day one.
Final verdict
Having said all of that, the Magic more than likely will not be benching Tyus Jones a week into the season for a late first-round draft selection.
However, if Tyus Jones continues to struggle and not be as effective as many had anticipated, who's to say Jamahl Mosley doesn't give Jase Richardson some burn?
Since the preseason, I've been a firm believer in Jase Richardson and do believe that the Magic have a special player there that fills every void that this team has. It's still too premature to say that Richardson is better than Tyus Jones, but don't be surprised if and when the rookie gets his opportunity, he takes full advantage of it.