<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NOTE: The Sonics have asked about free-agent guard Damon Jones, said his agent, Mark Termini. Jones, who played for the Bucks last season, had the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio behind the Sonics' Antonio Daniels.</div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Danny O'Neil and the Seattle PI.</font> It seems we really are in the market for a point guard, and weren't just after Fisher's experience. This likely means either teams want Daniels in trade proposals, or Seattle just doesn't see Ridnour as starting material this season (possibly both). Jones is good, but surely Houston or Miami would be prepared to offer whatever we can and maybe do end up offering. In other news, Shareef has demanded he be traded, but aquiring Fortson seems to eliminate any lingering notion of targeting him.
I think Luke Ridnour is good enough to start, I saw him play some games on NBA TV and he was looking good.. What about Ray Allen is he a SG or a PG for the Sonics?
There are no quality free agent point guards that are still available. The only way that we could acquire a legitimate starting point guard is through a trade. It is obvious that Luke is not ready to be a starting point guard, and to be honest, I do not think that he will ever be able to be a starter. The acquisition of Danny Fortson makes Vlad Radmanovic even more expendable and I think that he could be used to bring in a player like Jamaal Tinsley. The Sonics have enough tradeable assets to bring in many quality players, but as I see it, we just might have done our first and last move this offseason.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">There are no quality free agent point guards that are still available. The only way that we could acquire a legitimate starting point guard is through a trade. </div> Since when were there quality FA Point Guards available? Nash was heading to Phoenix from the start. Arroyo wasn't heading anywhere, and isn't better than Jones IMO. That leaves Fisher, Alston, and Jones. Fiser and Alston were both 6th men last year and got ridiculious contracts. Jones started in place of the injured Ford and did very well. So Jones is up there with Alston and Fisher as far as this years FA PG Market. Last year the names were much bigger with Jason Kidd, Speedy Claxton, Gary Payton, Jason Terry, Darrell Armstrong etc. So this years FA PG's are nothing compared to last years, but still, teams in need of a point overpay and give 6 year contracts to players that aren't worth their contract. I got a little off topic, but I just wanted to make that point
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">The acquisition of Danny Fortson makes Vlad Radmanovic even more expendable and I think that he could be used to bring in a player like Jamaal Tinsley.</div> I'd be all for something like that, but it would probably end up being the same situation where Vlad is backing up a small forward who plays big minutes, and there aren't many minutes at the four to gobble up, as Harrington's displeasure shows. That would also only leave Anthony Johnson in the point guard equation, so you'd probably have to throw Daniels in too, and even that might not convince them. I think Indiana would want Flip and Vlad if they were to part with Tinsley, unfortunately, and they might throw in someone like Fred Jones. I like the way you're thinking though.
Would a SAT work. We give you Jones and maybe a second round draft pick and you give us Ronald Murray. Would that work? Its just an idea.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">Since when were there quality FA Point Guards available? Nash was heading to Phoenix from the start. Arroyo wasn't heading anywhere, and isn't better than Jones IMO. That leaves Fisher, Alston, and Jones. Fiser and Alston were both 6th men last year and got ridiculious contracts. Jones started in place of the injured Ford and did very well. So Jones is up there with Alston and Fisher as far as this years FA PG Market. Last year the names were much bigger with Jason Kidd, Speedy Claxton, Gary Payton, Jason Terry, Darrell Armstrong etc. So this years FA PG's are nothing compared to last years, but still, teams in need of a point overpay and give 6 year contracts to players that aren't worth their contract. I got a little off topic, but I just wanted to make that point</div> Nice post. I very much disagree with the fact that Damon Jones is better than Carlos Arroyo and I would rather take my chances with the guards we already have than to overpay to get Damon Jones. I am writing an article on NBA journeyman and I should include Damon Jones as a player who has beaten the odds. At the same time I don't think the Jones is the type of player that would make us any better than what we already are. I guess that I should root for him to continue his success, but I would rather spend time rooting for the Sonics to win games. There are a lot better point guards out there than Damon Jones and to be honest I would rather take my chances with Flip at the point.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice post. I very much disagree with the fact that Damon Jones is better than Carlos Arroyo and I would rather take my chances with the guards we already have than to overpay to get Damon Jones. I am writing an article on NBA journeyman and I should include Damon Jones as a player who has beaten the odds. At the same time I don't think the Jones is the type of player that would make us any better than what we already are. I guess that I should root for him to continue his success, but I would rather spend time rooting for the Sonics to win games. There are a lot better point guards out there than Damon Jones and to be honest I would rather take my chances with Flip at the point.</div> Even though im not a seattle Fan, I wouldn't sign Damon Jones in this market. Chances are he'll ask for Rafer Alston money or more. Which is ridiculious. I don't see a point in these long term contracts. They should wait on Ridnour and possibly get him into the starting PG spot in December or so. If they sign Jones, 2 years from now, they'll be looking to dump him, like the Magic with Turkogolu, Warrios with Foyle etc.
Damon Jones is an average to below average backup. He thinks he is all that though, show boating and crap. His defense sucks, every once in awhile he'll get hot, and make shot after shot, but when he is cold, he doesn't know when to stop. If he had to start, look what happened to us at the end of last season, we dropped from the 4 to the 6 seed and got blown out of the playoffs when TJ went down
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting gmanspack:</div><div class="quote_post">Damon Jones is an average to below average backup. He thinks he is all that though, show boating and crap. His defense sucks, every once in awhile he'll get hot, and make shot after shot, but when he is cold, he doesn't know when to stop. If he had to start, look what happened to us at the end of last season, we dropped from the 4 to the 6 seed and got blown out of the playoffs when TJ went down</div> Damon Jones is not a below average backup. He's a good distributer, doesn't turn the ball over, and has a good 3 point shot and mid range jumper. Obviously he's not TJ Ford, but he did a heck of job for the Bucks last year when Ford went down. He had the 2nd best TO-Assists Ratio and in the last 2 months of the season when he started, he averaged over 9 PPG and 7.7 PPG while shooting over 46% from the field in only 29 MPG. Pretty good for a backup point guard thats starting....
jones was pretty good last year but he did have some draw backs. his defense wasnt that good and yeah also the 4th to 6th seed thing as well.
You can't put all the blame on Damon Jones for the Bucks slipping. He did his part as a starter and played great.
Not full blame, but he wasn't good as a starter. You sign him, and you'll get sick of PGs blowing by him for easy layups. He is a real nice guy and "fan favorite". I never said he wasn't a good backup, I said if he has to start, look out, he was a OK backup for us last year, and a below average starter.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jones, who moved into the starting lineup and played admirably after Ford was injured, confirmed he won't be returning to the Bucks. Jones was one of only three Bucks - the others were Desmond Mason and Michael Redd - to play in all 82 regular-season games last season. Jones averaged only seven points a game, but had an outstanding 4.64 turnover-to-assist ratio. The only player in the NBA to have a better ratio was Antonio Daniels of the Seattle SuperSonics at 4.89. Jones may end up in Seattle. Sonics officials have talked to some teams about Jones as a player and person and are strongly considering him to replace Brent Barry, who has signed with San Antonio. Neither Jones nor his agent, Mark Termini, would acknowledge Seattle is the front-runner to sign the player. Nor did they reveal what other teams are pursuing Jones, although it's widely known Houston, Miami and New Jersey are interested in him.</div> <font size="1">From Hoops Hype rumours page, courtesy of Gery Woeifel and the Journal Times Online.</font> I still think he'll go to Houston. Also, in that article it mentioned that Mike James had named Seattle as one of his final four teams he was prepared to go to, so it really seems like we are shopping for a point guard. I guess AD may be out the door.
Mike James will sign for the Bucks today so he will be off Seattle list. From the sounds, Jones will choose between Seattle and Houston.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Mike James will sign for the Bucks today so he will be off Seattle list.</div> Yup once Etan Thomas passes a medical so he can re-sign in Washington. I just brought it up as I found it interesting that he is yet another point guard we apparently targeted.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting gmanspack:</div><div class="quote_post">Not full blame, but he wasn't good as a starter. You sign him, and you'll get sick of PGs blowing by him for easy layups. He is a real nice guy and "fan favorite". I never said he wasn't a good backup, I said if he has to start, look out, he was a OK backup for us last year, and a below average starter.</div> Read the Bold <div class="quote_poster">Quoting gmanspack:</div><div class="quote_post"> Damon Jones is an average to below average backup. He thinks he is all that though, show boating and crap. His defense sucks, every once in awhile he'll get hot, and make shot after shot, but when he is cold, he doesn't know when to stop. If he had to start, look what happened to us at the end of last season, we dropped from the 4 to the 6 seed and got blown out of the playoffs when TJ went down</div>
A couple of interesting tidbits. He idolised Gary Payton while growing up, but he resides in Texas and went to college at Houston. However a little bird also tells me he's still cheesed off that the Rockets cut him in 2001. Jones publicly stated he wanted to go to the Heat, but I'm told he's too expensive for them, as they don't want to spend much of their exception on a point uard (the same applied for Mike James). What I ask though, is Jones really an upgrade on AD (who is a much better defender). The only thing I can think of is we went 4-17 with Barry out and Daniels running the show, but that's hardly his fault. Others needed to step up and they didn't.
