Pacers' Rick Carlisle commends Kam Jones: 'He has done a great job'

Kam Jones has had an up-and-down year with the Indiana Pacers, but coach Rick Carlisle commended the rookie for staying ready to contribute on the court. Jones is averaging 4. 1 points, 2.

7 assists and 1. 4 rebounds while shooting 30. 9% from 3-point range in 30 appearances with the Pacers.

He is one of 23 rookies with a double-double this season after recording 10 points and 10 assists on March 1. The 38th overall pick missed the preseason and the first 24 games of the regular season because of a lower back stress reaction. He has impressed the team with his on-court production, especially considering that he didn't debut until Dec.

22. "He has done a great job," Carlisle said on Monday. "He had a very difficult start because he missed almost two months with an unusual back condition that required that he just simply rest and not move, so he fell behind on conditioning and rhythm and those kinds of things.