The Motor City Cruise announced they re-acquired guard ShawnDre Jones. In a related move, the team waived guard Malique Jacobs.
Jones was a member of the Cruise since their inaugural season in 2021, where he spent the past two seasons with the team. In 88 total games with the Cruise he averaged 8.9 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 22.4 minutes per game.
During the 2021 season, he was awarded the NBA G League Community Assist Award while with the Cruise, which honors a player’s extensive commitment to positively impacting the community through sustained efforts. He’s a Texas native and played collegiately at Richmond University for four seasons.
Jacobs entered the season with the Cruise after becoming the first ever player to make the team’s final roster after competing in their open tryout. Head coach Jamelle McMillan and general manager Ben Carloni praised his competitive itch and defensive ability. Unfortunately for Jacobs, the roster’s make-up didn’t result in a large role on the floor. He appeared in three of the team’s first seven games for a total of 10 minutes.
The roster move brings the Cruise a true point guard to provide depth and support for Zavier Simpson, who has served as the primary ball handler and lead guard thus far. When Simpson is off the floor, McMillan mainly looked to Malcolm Cazalon or Jared Rhoden to bring the ball up and set the offense. Both are more traditional combo guards or wings. They also spend the majority of minutes with the Cruise’s starting group, playing off of Simpson, as top scoring options.
Adding Jones to the mix brings a second point guard to continue offensive flow in the second unit, taking pressure off Cazalon, Rhoden, and mainly Simpson.
