Dooling & Jones to Explore Options <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MIAMI ? With Keyon Dooling looking for more time and Damon Jones possibly looking for more money, the Heat finds itself at a crossroads at point guard. Both Heat regulars hold options that allow them to become free agents in the offseason. Dooling, who spent most of the season as the primary reserve to Jones, almost certainly will opt out of his minimum-salary deal, but places special value on remaining close to his South Florida roots. "Hopefully I can be a Heat member for life," he said. "I haven't felt this way about basketball for a real long time. Once you get a taste of winning, it's kind of like a drug. You get addicted to it." But the 25-year-old former first-round pick also has other goals. "Of course you want to be a starter," he said. Jones, who held the starting position almost all season, holds a $2.8 million option for next season. "The contract I have is the best I've had since I've been in the NBA," he said. "Could it be better, who knows?" Among the point guards who will be available in free agency this summer are Antonio Daniels, Dan Dickau, Tyronn Lue, Jeff McInnis and Earl Watson.</div> Source
Damon Jones is a nice, solid player, but hes more suited for a backup role...I think the Heat should look at finding a starting PG through free agency and have Dooling and Jones play together in the backcourt off the bench...
I think the Heat will be worse off if they lose Dooling, IMO he is a solid contributor off the bench. Did not see much of the Heat in the regular season, but in the playoffs Dooling played rather well. I think the Heat will let Jones go and look for a solid starting point in free-agency or the draft, and have Dooling come off the bench agian next year. Dooling gets a little too spuratic (sp) and out of control to be a full time starter.
I have alot of love for DJ, but I cant see how his free Agent stock didnt drop after that series with the Pistons(from where it was during the regular season). He proved that he cant create his own shot( which alot of people already knew). But he was really exposed in that series...I dont see anybody giving him the long term starter type contract security that he has been looking for for years now. He will probably continue to get small contracts, so teams can be able to move him easily when they feel fit, cause I dont think he can be a legit starter on a team that is looking to be serious at the championship contender level. He isnt going to give you the playmaking you need from a point guard on a championship level. And he isnt going to give you consistent enough scoring to play the off guard role. I think that he would be an excellent 1st guard off the bench tho...But Miami cant afford to pay him bigtime money and then find a starter type level guard to play in the backcourt with Wade. And give Shaq the contract he wants...something got to give... Most likely Damon Jones is gone. I think they will find away to keep dooling the kid, seems to be past the injuries of the Clipper years. And I think he has alot of upside. He is already strong at using the pick & roll to create his own shot and create things. In the playoffs, other then Wade he was the only Heat perimeter guy who proved that he has the ablity to create his own shot. Eddie Jones had a strong playoffs, but he didnt create his own opportunity he was a finsiher on the break. And played off the looks that Wade & Shaq created, same with DJ. But you seen signs here & there of Doolings ablity to create. I think Miami is going to find away to keep him in a backup role.
These playoff guards tend to cash in off of their post-season performances. Last year Derrick Fisher landed a big contract with the Warriors. Tyrone Lue got a lot of attention after he became a free agent playing on the Laker championship team. Damon Jones didn't have a good series against Detroit, but he was also playing injured. He was very entertaining with the media and put up solid numbers when he was a PG with the Bucks. I expect him to bolt Miami and sign on with a team for around the same money Alston received from the Raptors. A team like the Cavs are in need of a 3pt bomber and they have LeBron James to create for the team. The Cavs have cap space and if they cannot land Redd, Joe Johnson, Larry Hughes or Ray Allen, Damon Jones becomes a nice option. Keyon Dooling I like a lot and I would be more than happy to see him leave the Heat. A lot of the teams with cap space like the Hawks, Bobcats, and Hornets are all in need of a PG and Dooling could easily start for any of those teams. I don't think Miami will be able to convince him to take less money, even if they can promise him a starting spot. The Heat's two biggest free agents they have to bring back are Haslem and Mourning. The Heat will probably try to split the MLE to sign both, but with the Heat being over the cap they don't have a lot of flexibility in the off-season. Shaq will do some recruiting, maybe he can convince Payton to come aboard again or Sprewell. Other bigmen vets who might try to join the Heat could include Cliff Robinson, Bo Outlaw, Kerry Kittles, Mark Madsen, Jahidi White, and Ervin Johnson. Other vet guards include Darrell Armstrong, Tyronn Lue and Jeff McInnis.
Get rid of Keyon Dooling, hes useless, he keeps trying to act all hard and turns over the ball, and takes retarded shots. Get rid of Damon Jones, all he can do is shoot the 3, and turn the ball over.
