Tyus Jones (PG, MIN) - Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In Standard Leagues

OWNED IN: 21% of leagues

ANALYSIS: An NCAA national champion with Duke three years ago, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones has been thrust into the starting lineup following Jeff Teague’s injury. The 29-year-old may miss up to a month with a sprained left knee. As a result, Jones has been averaging over 30 minutes of action the past four games, averaging just a little bit everything. His greatest strength, however, is steals. Heading into this week, the 21-year-old had compiled 21 steals his past five games of at least 30 minutes of action. While his stats per game don’t exactly jump out at you, there’s a strong possibility that head coach Tom Thibodeau will continue to play him.

The main reason for this would be the incredible strength of the Timberwolves when Jones is on the court. With him on the floor alongside Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Taj Gibson, Minnesota has outscored their opponents by 23.3 points per 100 possessions, the best among all NBA lineups with a minimum of 180 minutes together. It would make perfect sense, in that case, to continue to play Jones, allowing him time to work on his personal stats while the team continues to thrive with him. Those searching for a point guard to come off the bench in certain spots could surely use the former Blue Devil. Of course, this will be a short-term fix, as Teague’s return will send Jones back to the bench.