FORMER G League star and gun recruit Mason Jones was electric for the Perth Wildcats in his National Basketball League (NBL) preseason debut, leading his new team to a 10-point win over the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Jones was acquired by the Wildcats as a backcourt replacement of sorts for the departing Bryce Cotton, with the five-time MVP leaving a gaping hole in Perth’s offensive production. They looked on the import market, and added Jones, who was fresh off winning the Finals MVP with the Stockton Kings after an excellent campaign in the professional competition.

The Wildcats hosted the Golden Kings at Perth HPC on Sunday afternoon in the final preseason game before the season begins later this week, and it was the visitors who got off to the better start, leading by six points at the first change. However, Perth recovered before storming home to a gutsy win against a worthy opponent.

Jones was the matchwinner for the Wildcats, taking over the contest with his shooting ability and showing just how much impact he can have for Perth and giving hope to the team for life after their former superstar.

Perth Wildcats (103) def. Ryukyu Golden Kings (93)

Mason Jones – 22 points, five rebounds, seven assists

In his first match in a Wildcats uniform, Jones was seriously impressive in the win over the Golden Kings, showing his offensive firepower and indicating that he may be in for a massive debut campaign in the NBL.

He was injected into the match six minutes into the first term, with the Wildcats trailing Ryukyu in the opening quarter. Jones was able to hit the scoreboard with his first three-pointer of the game to keep Perth prior to quarter time. It showed his willingness to fire off shots from behind the arc, and his ability to create good looks off the dribble.

After showing good chemistry with his teammates to close out the first quarter and open the second frame, Jones was subbed out of the game before returning in the final minutes of the first half. Again, he proved instrumental in Perth’s offensive production, knocking down two three-pointers in the space of 90 seconds with a quick fire shooting motion and justified confidence in his scoring ability. He led the Wildcats to a two-point lead at the main break and showed that he can lead this team in the backcourt.

He kept his form rolling into the third frame, nailing his fourth three-pointer to ensure Perth kept rolling on the scoreboard. Jones backed it up with another long-range bomb off the catch-and-shoot to become the defining factor in the match. The guard had picked up a remarkable third triple in the span of under three minutes, and was absolutely electric on the offensive end, earning a well-deserved rest in a scoring blitz.

The defence began to put some effort into shutting down Jones from behind the arc, and he struggled to find space around the arc, but he was able to open up his teammate with spacing. With the Wildcats leading by just two points and just over two minutes on the clock, the star recruit knocked down a remarkable seventh three-pointer to seal the game for Perth and truly announce he has the potential to be a star of the NBL this season.

Jones finished the match with 22 points, five boards and seven assists, shooting 7/10 from the field with all of his makes coming from long-range. It was an electric shooting performance and if he can continue to fire from long-range, it will bode well for Perth’s postseason aspirations.