<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ORLANDO, Fla. -- In a rather drab NBA practice jersey, wearing No. 37 but looking nothing like Shaun Alexander, Bobby Jones ran the floor last week at the Milk House at Walt Disney World in front of countless NBA coaches, scouts and executives. Larry Bird, president of the Indiana Pacers, strolled in, a few pounds beyond his playing weight, and sat in the first row. He was joined by Memphis Grizzlies exec Jerry West. Clippers GM Elgin Baylor was a few rows behind. The Sonics' brass nestled in the right corner, with coach Bob Hill watching intently, sporting his black Sonics cap, camp roster rolled in his hands and dated leather suitcase at his side. There were very few first-round picks at the NBA predraft camp; mainly it was second-rounders, free agents and players who'd better get their passports for a post-college trek overseas to begin their career. Jones is trying valiantly to stay in the States. And the former University of Washington standout who made his mark by shutting down opponents of any size or quickness is vying to do the same at the NBA level. He finished the four-day camp in impressive fashion, scoring 11 points in his final game and answering some pressing questions about his inconsistent offensive game. Unlike former UW teammate Brandon Roy, a projected top-five pick who only worked out for particular teams in Orlando, Jones has seized every opportunity to showcase his game. Between his class schedule, Jones played in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational last month and tried out for a handful of NBA teams before heading to Orlando. He has perhaps played himself into the second round with his defensive prowess. "I talked to lot of people who really love his intensity, especially defensively," said former NBA veteran Jim Farmer, who coached Jones' team in Orlando. "A lot of coaches talk about how well he plays defense and he's been doing that for us. I think he's playing real steady. He's been knocking down the shot when it's open and I think that's been some question." Jones averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in three games at the predraft camp. In those games, coaches shuttled in new five-man lineups every five minutes of a 20-minute half, so each prospect would play roughly 20 minutes per game. In those five-minute spurts, Jones was asked to shut down Villanova's Allan Ray, George Washington's J.R. Pinnock, UConn's Rashad Anderson or Rice's Morris Almond. Jones wowed scouts with his athleticism and ability to stay in front of the ball handler. An NBA coach and a scout, both of whom requested anonymity, compared Jones to a young Bruce Bowen. "See, people don't remember what Bowen was like at that age," the scout said. "He couldn't even hit the rim with a shot. But look what he's turned into. I would say Jones has more of an offensive game at this point than Bruce did. He can help a lot of teams."</div> Source
