James Jones comparison

[Dakotah612]

James Jones has finally found a home with the Blazers. He's instant offense and plays good defense. After watching him all-season I've come up with this comparison: a young Wesley Person. If he's open from 3pt or mid-range it's almost automatic.

[taufblazers33]

James Jones has finally found a home with the Blazers. He's instant offense and plays good defense. After watching him all-season I've come up with this comparison: a young Wesley Person. If he's open from 3pt or mid-range it's almost automatic.

James Jones reminds me of Deltef Shremfp (spelling)

[ss1986v2]

yup, he'll look real nice in a spurs uni next to udoka next year. i kid, i kid...

really though, the guys been on fire and is absolutely thriving this year, like the rest of the blazers. its nice to see this team finally coming together after the "jailblazers" run.

[mojomarc]

yup, he'll look real nice in a spurs uni next to udoka next year. i kid, i kid...

Of course you kid. After all, no one looks good in a Spurs uni

[taufblazers33]

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Of course you kid. After all, no one looks good in a Spurs uni

besides Eva Langoria

[Pattycakes]

Well I'll take Eva and NO uniform and you guys can sort everything else out.

[Spykes]

Ya know, I hadn't really thought about it much up to this point, but what are we going to do if Jones opts out of his deal at the end of the season. With the stats he's putting up this year, he'll be in a good position to opt out and sign a MLE deal.

If he does opt out, do we resign him or let him walk to preserve the cap space plan?

[Yadadimean]

Do we have bird rights if he doesn't opt out? If we do, I'm sure an agreement could be made that if he stays with us through the duration of his contract, that we could give him a deal equivalent to an MLE deal (or possibly an even better deal)after we make our outside FA acquisition(s).

[EGame]

Ya know, I hadn't really thought about it much up to this point, but what are we going to do if Jones opts out of his deal at the end of the season. With the stats he's putting up this year, he'll be in a good position to opt out and sign a MLE deal.

If he does opt out, do we resign him or let him walk to preserve the cap space plan?

Personally, I say we resign him. Jones is a great shooter and a good defender, not to mention he seems like a leader. Jones' shot seems more consistent then Martell's which will be huge in the future for us and he is also a good free throw shooter which always helps. I say to hell with the cap space, I doubt we get anyone that is huge anyway, so why not resign a valuable player to our team like Jones?

That is just my 0.02 cents.

[d-train]

Do we have bird rights if he doesn't opt out? If we do, I'm sure an agreement could be made that if he stays with us through the duration of his contract, that we could give him a deal equivalent to an MLE deal (or possibly an even better deal)after we make our outside FA acquisition(s).

In either event, he would be a full Larry Bird FA. If he opts out after this season, he would be a full Larry Bird FA. I doubt he will opt out but if he does, the most Blazers will sign him to is a 1-year contract. Even if you think his pay is reasonable, he isn't a bargain. The Suns considered the Blazers willingness to assume his contract as a valuable asset in the Rudy trade because they were able to replace Jones with a much better player for nearly half the price.

[Billy]

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In either event, he would be a full Larry Bird FA. If he opts out after this season, he would be a full Larry Bird FA. I doubt he will opt out but if he does, the most Blazers will sign him to is a 1-year contract. Even if you think his pay is reasonable, he isn't a bargain. The Suns considered the Blazers willingness to assume his contract as a valuable asset in the Rudy trade because they were able to replace Jones with a much better player for nearly half the price.

I agree somewhat. Grant Hill has been an absolute stud. But lets be honest here, the Suns have done plenty of deals that have been primarily motivated by saving money. This move for the most part was no different. It has little to no reflection on Jones value on the basketball court.

[Wizenheimer]

First off, comparing the jones-grant hill situation to the blazers-suns situation doesn't seem valid. Phoenix is in a 'win now' mode, whereas the blazers are in a mode of '5 year plans'. Hill's salary is 2/3 of Jones, not 1/2 to be accurate.

As to Jones's impact on the cap-space option, I do not believe for a moment that option is written in stone and inflexible. KP has talked often about simply maximizing options and keeping them open. The blazers have several contracts fitting the 2009 off-season "plan".

But I think it's clear the play of the blazers this season has to have an impact on the original thinking that KP had this summer. At that time, the SF position looked to be weak, now it doesn't. At that time, the blazers looked to be in desperate need of a traditional PG. But the development of Roy's game has changed that quite a bit.

Jones has been valuable. He has changed the ways defenses play the blazers and it doesn't take genius to picture him making it easier for Oden to operate down low.

If he opts out and wants around the MLE, even a bit more, the blazers should sign him. If he gets a 5.5 million/yr contract, that would be less then the cap-hold he'd have in 2009 (200% of his 2008 salary = 6.3 million). Otherwise, they have to renounce their rights to him.

With Oden, Roy, and Aldridge, all probably being near-max contract players, I'm not convinced that KP intends to land a 4th of that level through free agency. That would mean that 80-90% of the salary cap would be invested in only 4 players. It would severely limit options in the future.

Jones is the kind of player that keeps options open...on the court and transaction-wise.

[Khazim]

Ya know, I hadn't really thought about it much up to this point, but what are we going to do if Jones opts out of his deal at the end of the season. With the stats he's putting up this year, he'll be in a good position to opt out and sign a MLE deal.

If he does opt out, do we resign him or let him walk to preserve the cap space plan?

What good is the capspace if we don't have players like James Jones? Who could we realistically get that would be a better fit with that money?

[mojomarc]

With Oden, Roy, and Aldridge, all probably being near-max contract players, I'm not convinced that KP intends to land a 4th of that level through free agency. That would mean that 80-90% of the salary cap would be invested in only 4 players. It would severely limit options in the future.

I am 100% convinced that the plan is to build up as much salary as possible in 2009, and I disagree 100% that that limits options in the future. Once you are over the cap, you don't get to compete in free agency the same way, but you're hardly limited. You just have more salary to deal with in making trades. I would fully expect us to do everything possible to have a payroll in the $80m range so that we could have a combination of players at salaries that we can use to get any player from other teams that we may want. We can't do that without bringing in at least one or more large contracts during free agency 2009 or earlier through trades of shorter contracts for longer ones.

Think of it this way--if Isiah Thomas can make trades, then having a lot of big salaries clearly doesn't hurt your flexibility that much by itself. It's all just a matter of how smart you are about who you are paying those big salaries to (e.g. don't do it for Steve Francis).

[DeezXXnutZ]

James Jones seems to remind me most of Glen Rice..Sit back and wait for the defense to sag and hit open jumpers..

[Wizenheimer]

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I am 100% convinced that the plan is to build up as much salary as possible in 2009, and I disagree 100% that that limits options in the future. Once you are over the cap, you don't get to compete in free agency the same way, but you're hardly limited. You just have more salary to deal with in making trades. I would fully expect us to do everything possible to have a payroll in the $80m range so that we could have a combination of players at salaries that we can use to get any player from other teams that we may want. We can't do that without bringing in at least one or more large contracts during free agency 2009 or earlier through trades of shorter contracts for longer ones.

Think of it this way--if Isiah Thomas can make trades, then having a lot of big salaries clearly doesn't hurt your flexibility that much by itself. It's all just a matter of how smart you are about who you are paying those big salaries to (e.g. don't do it for Steve Francis).

did you mean to say that?...portland want's as "much salary as possible" in 2009? I thought the tentative plan was cap-space which would require less salary obligations. Or maybe, and it's probably what you're saying, it's salary AFTER the 2009 off-season.

In any event, the theory you're advancing is fine, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with it, except that timing and the CBA are more in control then the theory. I know you don't agree, but decisions on Webster, Frye, and Jack may have to be made this summer if it's determined they are in the long term plans. And of course, having them under long term contracts would fit that theory of yours about tradable contracts. The Blazers lose control if they go into the 2009 off-season with them as RFA.

I've gone through the numbers a dozen times, and the fact remains that as long as Miles remains a blazer, substantial cap space will only be possible by dumping at least 3 of blake-outlaw-webster-jones, and by either getting frye and jack to sign small long term contracts or trading them for expirings.

As far as trading as a vehicle for improvement being better then cap-space, you know I've been saying that. I'm not a big fan of the cap-space plan as far as using it to chase a free agent. The list of likely free agents in 2009 isn't that impressive. But cap-space can be used for trading as well, and with 6 or 7 million in cap-space and Miles's expiring in 2009, portland might have some options.

In any event, looking at those possible free agents, I don't see any that would really be worth a near max contract to portland. Especially considering he might come at the price of Outlaw, Jones, and Blake. And assuming they could sign one and then trade him after his BYC status expired seems kind of risky. I also don't think Paul Allen wants to spend a lot of consecutive seasons paying luxury tax, no matter how much he spends on his yachts. I could be wrong about that one though as I've never been in a position of having a billion dollars of pocket money.

Of course, if Deng, Gordon, Iguodala, & Okafor all end up playing for thier QO's, then things could get a bit more interesting.

[RC52]

Ya know, I hadn't really thought about it much up to this point, but what are we going to do if Jones opts out of his deal at the end of the season. With the stats he's putting up this year, he'll be in a good position to opt out and sign a MLE deal.

If he does opt out, do we resign him or let him walk to preserve the cap space plan?

IMO i think we keep Jones over Martell...

[mojomarc]

did you mean to say that?...portland want's as "much salary as possible" in 2009? I thought the tentative plan was cap-space which would require less salary obligations. Or maybe, and it's probably what you're saying, it's salary AFTER the 2009 off-season.

It's the latter. By the time that all our signings are done in the 2009 offseason, I expect a payroll around $75-80m if KP did his job.

[Mr Odd]

Haha, I remember when it was said
we're getting Jones and people were
saying he was junk.. .HAHAHAHAHA!!

Not many were hyped about it.. .

I loved it because I always had
him on my video game teams, lol.

[Goldbum]

James reminds me of Vincent Askew with a sweet 3 point shot. And yeah I know thats saying alot.