I don't think he's as good as Chad Ford thinks he is, but they should probably look into whether or not Travis Hansen wants to come back stateside. And though he's not a catch-and-shoot guy, few can shoot off a dribble better than Jannero Pargo, and he's already played with Shaq.
...except for game 7 of the eastern conference finals. Damon had 2 HUGE gaffes at the end of that game. I think those plays are a reason why the Heat were not that eager to re-sign him. His actual ball-handling skills are pretty shaky, but man can he hit that open 3.
The difference is this year the Heat could play JW and Wade in the backcourt or Wade and another SG with Walker at the 3 during crunch time. DJ would have still been a very valuable guy who they could have split the PG time with JW. I think it would have worked great. Need the penetration and ball handling or situtations where DJ is getting abused (versus Billips) you have JW, but the days JW is erratic in shooting or other parts of his game you go with the less talented but more consistent player with the deadeye shot. Major mistake by Miami to let him go given they didn't land another deadeye (Finley) and lost now both their last year's best shooters (both Joneses). If fact not a single Heat left has shot the 3 ball above 33%--pretty average for an NBA wing--over their career. Contrast this with Houston with DW, James, Barry and DA all over 34% for their career and DW/Barry both in the high 30s. I would say Jeff/CD has done a much better job than Stan/Riley with surrounding the right kind of players around their center/wing superstars. In fact is DA is playing effectively (and fills in at some 1) and Sura is healthy, would not at all be a surprised if DW or James would be sent to Miami. Either guy would help them a ton. DW for JP (if JP is healthy) could make sense for both teams.
That fourth-quarter was brutal, but you can't go by a 12-minute choke (Jones was injured, too). He led the NBA in 2003-04 by dishing 4.64 assists for every one turnover. That's one full assist over his nearest competitor. He may not be Magic, but he's hardly Iverson either.
You're right. He's not even close to Iverson. He's strictly a system point guard, a catch and shoot guy and he's very good at that. He's the slowest and worst defensive point guard in the league though. He can't check anybody
Sounds like Damon is having a pretty hard time coming to grips with leaving Miami. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&id=2155597 Miami moves puzzle, disappoint Jones By Ric Bucher ESPN The Magazine Archive For someone who has played for nine teams in seven years and never lasted anywhere more than one season, Damon Jones sure is having a hard time saying goodbye to Miami. Jones, 29, will be introduced this afternoon as the new starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, right after he signs a four-year deal worth as much as $16 million. It's easily the longest and richest contract he ever has been offered. After giving the Heat one last chance to keep him, Jones flew to Cleveland on Wednesday afternoon and spent the evening being wined and dined by GM Danny Ferry and an assortment of Cavs officials. No one has ever showered this much love on a guy who couldn't even land an NBA training-camp invitation his first two years out of the University of Houston, lasted until the fourth round of the CBA draft, and spent his formative years playing with the Black Hills Posse (IBA) and Jacksonville Barracudas (USBL). This, then, should be the happiest day of Jones' professional career. Yet it's not. Or at least it wasn't as of early Thursday. "This was the hardest decision I've ever had to make," said Jones by phone, in between physicals early Thursday morning. "It's tough to talk about, even now. It won't really sink in that I'm a Cavalier until I put my name on that contract. It's still disappointing that I'm not going back to a team that was a minute and a half away from going to the Finals." Now he joins a team that he described as "on the cusp of being good." He loves that he's coming in on the ground floor of an emerging franchise, that first-year coach Mike Brown scratched his way through the coaching ranks the same way Jones did as a player, that he's arriving with Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall, and that LeBron James can't posterize him again as he did with a fast-break dunk Feb. 3 on TNT. "Instead of being on the other end, I can be the one throwing him lobs," Jones said. But for all that, Jones knows that the Cavs aren't ready to contend and that a lot of question marks about their chemistry and cohesion will have to be answered before they are. That's why he'd still be in Miami had the Heat simply been willing to increase his salary more than a few hundred thousand above the $2.7 million he would've received had he not opted out of his two-year deal. The Cavs, after all, reportedly are starting him at $3.5 million. It's hard to believe the Heat, had they reeeeeeally wanted to keep Jones, couldn't have matched that. And to hear Jones tell it, he won't be the only one disturbed about his departure from the Heat. Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade repeatedly offered to exert their influence on Heat management to get Jones re-signed. One conversation with Shaq this week lasted 2 1/2 hours, he said, and got "very emotional." "But I didn't want them to say anything," Jones added. "I wanted to be brought back for my contributions on and off the basketball court, nothing else." Jones also indicated that coach Stan Van Gundy had his back. Despite the acquisition of Grizzlies point guard Jason Williams in this summer's ginormous five-team, 13-player deal, Jones had been told he would remain the starter. That could've been propaganda to get Jones back in the fold -- or it could point to the threat of fissures between Van Gundy and president Pat Riley that bringing in Williams, James Posey and Antoine Walker poses. Riley, as with all personnel chiefs, will want the new pieces provided every opportunity to demonstrate how wise it was to get them. Van Gundy, as with all coaches, will want to stick with the players he knows and can trust. "Now that I'm on the outside looking in, it's going to be tough," Jones said. "They're going to be successful, but Stan is going to have a problem coaching those personalities." Although Jones thanks Riley for the chance last season afforded him, he is baffled by the team's extreme makeover. "I've been scratching my head from Day One," he said. "I can't give you a real reason why it had to be done. We lost to the defending champions with a whole lot of things that didn't get airplay. Udonis [Haslem] had a broken finger; Eddie [Jones] was having knee problems; Dwyane was hurt; and I got two cortisone shots in my ankle so I could play in Game 7. Pat Riley had a vision of, I don't know, the Showtime Lakers and a bunch of big names. I just wish we could've done what the Detroits and San Antonios and even the Lakers in their championship years did -- keep everybody together and build that championship continuity." That, of course, is no longer his concern. Despite the Cuyahoga love, owner Dan Gilbert's money and whatever he might say, Jones leaves the lingering impression that he still wishes it were.
Totally agree. That's why Nash can't be the Number 1 PG in the game. The game is played on both ends. Kidd is bigger, plays great defense and he rebounds like a forward. You can post up Nash or make him chase. He gets tired. On pure passing skill and ability to run a team, he and Kidd are virtually tied. However, today's PG is required to do several things well. Kidd is the undisputed best PG, followed by Davis and Nash
I personally think you missed the overall best PG, or at least my 1st choice once the playoffs begin, Chancey Billips. I think he has the best combination of toughness on both ends, leadership in running the team, and scoring ability in the half court when you need it.
Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but last year, Nash was better than any PG in the NBA. On offense, he's the perfect combination of driver/slasher/outside shooter. He finds other players and creates as good as or better than anyone; 1/2 court or fast break. Kidd is NOT equal to him on the offensive end because he can't shoot and his FG% is terrible. On defense, Nash is bad. There is no denying it. But he more than made up for it on the other end. That is why he won the MVP. If you turn the clock back a few years, Kidd was clearly better than Nash. I won't bother listing the many reasons. But Kidd clearly has lost a step since his knee surgery and isn't the same dominating player he used to be. His best years are behind him. Last year showed it may a while before Nash goes over the hill. Billups really disappointed me in the Finals. I expected him to completely destroy Tony Parker but it didn't happen. I expected him to take over Game 7 in the 4th quarter but it didn't happen. I like him a lot but he's a cut below Nash, Kidd and Baron Davis right now.
While I was dissappointed in his game 7 (thought he didn't take enough shots and wasn't assertive enough) Billups certainly out performed Parker and was a primary reason it went 7. Billips is also the only one who has lead his team to a title, and got the playoff MVP. Nash and Kidd haven't come close to doing that, and both have had stacked teams. Davis doesn't deserve mention here, Bibby has as much of a case. If I was picking one PG to advance my team in the playoffs given all facets, that guys is Billups.
Well I don't know how he was supposed to do that when the spurs put Bowen on Billups. That's a bad matchup for Billups. He can't bully Bowen around like he could with Parker. And Bowen is quick enough and long enough to stay with Billups and bother his shot. That's why he's one of the best defenders in the league.
