Thunder's Perry Jones III still finding his way

“I wanted to ask him how come in the preseason my rhythm came to me like it did but now it's hard for me to find it out here,” Jones said.

But before Jones could ask, Brooks knew the issue and already was prepared to address it.

“I didn't even have to say nothing,” Jones said. “He already knew what I was going to ask. He told me before I even had a chance to ask him.”

Jones, the 28th overall pick out of Baylor, has appeared in exactly half of the Thunder's first eight games. He's never sure when his next opportunity will be.

That's partly why, after an encouraging preseason, Jones has gotten off to a slow start in the games that matter. He's averaging just 0.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists. He's made only one of seven shots, a 14.3 percent clip, and turned it over three times.

“In defense of him, it's nearly impossible to play consistently when you don't have consistent minutes,” Brooks said of Jones, who has averaged just 8.3 minutes. “And I told him that. Just go out there and play hard, play with energy and have some fun out there because your minutes are going to be inconsistent.”

A lack of production, however, might be the least of Jones' concerns at this point. Like most rookies, he's looked unsure of himself, at times appearing out of the loop on the court if not downright disengaged. There have been moments in which Jones has displayed his versatility and naiveté on the same sequence.

In one game, he successfully brought up the ball on a fast break but then strangely played a panicky game of hot potato with it immediately upon crossing halfcourt, looking for anybody to pass off to. In another game, Jones used his imposing 6-foot-10 inch frame to make himself a big target on the left block but then looked unsure of himself on the catch and missed an awkward layup attempt after appearing to get away with a traveling violation.

Jones admitted that the inconsistency has been a tough adjustment and conceded that he's not as comfortable now as he was in the preseason, when he averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.3 minutes.