Each moment grew a little more unbearable as Perry Jones sat in his pinstripe suit waiting for his name to be called at Thursday night’s NBA draft.

As NBA commissioner David Stern announced each selection, Jones’ stock kept falling. With the draft approaching the fourth hour, it was beginning to look like Jones might fall out of the first round.

Finally the moment arrived.

Baylor's Perry Jones III stands after being announced as the No. 28 overall draft pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Thursday night's NBA draft.
Bill Kostroun / Associated Press

When Oklahoma City selected Jones with the 28th pick in the first round, Baylor’s big man finally got to stroll to the stage to don his Thunder cap and shake hands with Stern.

Baylor coach Scott Drew was glad Jones’ draft night drama was finally over, and that he was selected by a franchise coming off a berth in the NBA finals.

“Perry can be the steal of the draft,” said Drew, who attended the draft in Newark, N.J. “Oklahoma City is a great organization. It’s a great fit for him, and he can help right away. He’ll be close to home, and he’s going to have a great time up there.”

After Jones was selected, there was a run on Baylor players as Toronto selected forward Quincy Acy with the 37th pick and Denver took Quincy Miller with the 38th pick. It marked the first time in history that three Baylor players were picked in an NBA draft.

“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment any time you can play in the NBA and have three picks in a very competitive draft,” Drew said. “It’s a great compliment to their teammates and also to Baylor Nation.”

Though Jones was taken about 10 picks lower than most draft experts projected, he quickly realized that he’ll start his NBA career in an ideal position. The Thunder should be a power for years to come with talented young players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

“I just wanted an opportunity to play in the NBA, and it really didn’t matter where I got picked,” said Jones in a draft press conference at Newark’s Prudential Center. “I’m more than happy to play for Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant is somebody I look at on film. He’s my favorite player. To be under his wing and learning from him is going to help my game.”

Still, Jones experienced some nervous moments as he watched players being picked ahead of him.

Competing for NBA title

“There is a side to you that says, ‘Oh my God, I slipped, this is terrible,’ ” Jones said. “But there’s the other side that says, ‘I’m with a team that can compete for a championship.’ What’s better than learning from one of the best teams? They were in the finals. They have great players and a great coach. This is just an opportunity for me to grow.”

Throughout the draft, speculation grew that Jones was slipping due to a report that NBA team doctors were concerned about a meniscus issue in his knee. Drew said Jones’ knee issue dated back to high school, but it never affected him at Baylor.

“We never saw it to be a problem,” Drew said. “We knew he had a previous injury, but it wasn’t an issue with him. I think (NBA) people thought he might need surgery in the future, and that was a scare.”

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a press conference late Thursday night that the organization feels comfortable that Jones is healthy.

“In terms of the medical, we’ve done our research,” Presti said. “We felt very comfortable making the selection at No. 28. Obviously, we’re thrilled about how this draft turned out for us. Perry is an extremely talented individual and someone we feel very fortunate to add to our team.”

Presti was surprised Jones fell to No. 28, but was excited to land a player with the 6-11 forward’s athleticism and skills.

“We didn’t know where he would go, but we didn’t anticipate him being there at our pick,” Presti said. “We decided long before if he was there, we’d pick him. Every draft is like a chess board. Once things start to happen, there’s kind of a trickle-down effect. The next thing you know, guys you don’t anticipate being there start to fall to you.”

Jones averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds as a sophomore for Baylor’s Elite Eight team, but was sometimes criticized for not being more assertive and putting up bigger numbers.

But Presti sees Jones as a player who is willing to sacrifice bigger individual statistics for the good of the team. Since Oklahoma City already has big scorers like Durant, Westbrook and Harden, Presti simply wants Jones to play his role on the team.

Creating an impact

“He’s incredibly talented but can also play within a team and understand how he can impact a game,” Presti said. “He doesn’t need to be forcing the issue at all times, and that’s a huge quality that’s a positive with our team. He’s a long athlete that will bring versatility to the floor. Hopefully, we’ll be able to help him grow.”

Presti also likes that Jones was part of a highly successful Baylor team that set a school record with a 30-8 finish during the past season.

“The fact that he’s been around winning and knows how to play within the framework of a team is a major plus,” Presti said. “We look at him as a guy who is about winning first and foremost. We’ve got a good group of guys here, and he’s only going to add to that.”

Like Jones, Miller was picked lower than some draft experts projected as the eighth pick in the second round by the Nuggets. However, Acy went higher than most projections when the Raptors took the recent Baylor graduate with the seventh pick in the second round.

“I had a great feeling that was going to happen because a lot of people saw value in what (Acy) brought to the table,” Drew said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him because he earned everything he got.”

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