Spurs Sign Bobby Jones

[Mr. Body]

Dude played with Brandon Roy, right?

[SPARKY]

The interesting threesome of Spurs shooting coach Chip Engelland, forward/center Fabricio Oberto and the Spurs Coyote were standing near midcourt and talking during Jones' workout.

No doubt the Coyote was regaling Chip and Fabbs with stories about the crazy tail he picks up at home games.

[jag]

Decent enough choice for the future, although he's probably not going to be able to score much at an NBA level at this point. Who cares about scoring anyway? The Spurs probably just now have enough room to sign somebody -- better late than never.

I'm still wondering why they got rid of Darius Washington. The guy looked like he could play at a high level. Is there a possibility of him being back or do you think that's a done deal??

[boutons_]

Will Ian be warming the playoff bench?

[Princess Pimp]

9/10 – Nuggets acquire Steven Hunter and Jones from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Reggie Evans and the draft rights to Ricky Sanchez.

1/7 – Waived by Nuggets

1/10 – Signs 10-contract with Memphis Grizzlies

1/20 – Signs second 10-day contract with Grizzlies

2/9 – Acquired by Sioux Falls Skyforce (D-League)

2/26 – Signs 10-day contract with Houston Rockets

3/12 – Signs 10-day contract with Miami Heat

3/23 – Re-acquired by Sioux Falls Skyforce

4/1 – Signs 10-day contract with Spurs

No wonder...

the guy SUCKS!

[Trainwreck2100]

I'm still wondering why they got rid of Darius Washington. The guy looked like he could play at a high level. Is there a possibility of him being back or do you think that's a done deal??

I doubt it, rumor is he had trouble playing within the system.

[Brutalis]

The glimpse of Jones I liked what I saw. Good defense, pass the ball well, didn't press to impress.

hmm good insight I didn't get to see.

And JaG I posted about Wash as well. He seemed real solid and a shot at playing backup roles within the Spurs system.

[Radiosparks]

From MYSA.com

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Jones' acquisition will give the Spurs a chance to evaluate adding him to their summer league roster.

Jones relishes this chance.

“If anything, I'd like for this to be my last stop,” he said. “They do it right here. It's a veteran lineup, and I can learn a lot just being around these guys.”

[T Park]

I'm still wondering why they got rid of Darius Washington. The guy looked like he could play at a high level. Is there a possibility of him being back or do you think that's a done deal??

His seemingly boneheaded play along with not playing within the system and not play defense were his downfall.

[Demo Dick Marcinko]

hmm good insight I didn't get to see.

And JaG I posted about Wash as well. He seemed real solid and a shot at playing backup roles within the Spurs system.

He was more productive and played with more energy and was even a decent defender I think then Stoudamire. But Pop favors experience.

[MarCowMar]

I got the impression the Spurs liked Washington but he asked them to let him go because he had a guaranteed contract offer overseas. Washington is no guarantee to make it in the NBA so I can understand why he'd want to take it.

[coopdogg3]

Here's what Draft Express thinks of Bobby, seems like a consumate Spur.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bobby-Jones-351/

Strengths
Bobby Jones is a defensive stopper in the truest sense. He has great size and quickness and moves his feet intelligently, always staying in front of his man and taking great pride in harassing whoever he is guarding. He is a versatile defender as well; being used in college to defend any position on the court 1-5. Jones does a good job with post defense and he can defend shorter players on the perimeter as well. He is exceptional at sliding his feet from side to side, knowing when to extend or advance his on the ball defensive position and having the instincts to retreat backwards while staying in his defensive stance and keeping his technique.

He is not incredibly thick or bulky as a player physically but is a very good athlete overall. He runs the court well, can slash to the hoop, finish in traffic and make some agile plays while in the air. He is a quick leaper as well that can get off the ground in a hurry. Jones has a very good wingspan and uses it on defense to get into the passing lanes and pick up steals.

Jones is mostly a role player and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Offensively he is a decent slasher, being able to take a few short dribbles with his right hand to get to the hoop. Jones moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket and looking for opportunities to come up with cheap baskets in the paint. Once at the rim, he has the length and athleticism to finish well at the hoop.

Most of his scoring opportunities on offense will come in the form of put backs off offensive rebounds or layups created by teammates. Jones anticipates well and uses his quick leaping ability on the glass to get the ball at its highest point. For a SG or SF he is an above average rebounder, and can also use his length and quickness to get loose balls on defense and offense.

Bobby Jones is not going to be a star at the next level, instead he is your consummate role player who could be a true defensive stopper in the NBA under the right coach. The special thing about Jones is the defensive versatility he has shown in college, being asked to guard all positions on the floor. If asked to switch on a screen in the NBA this will come in very handy as he is used to defending all kinds of
offensive players, which will increase his value at the next level. He is a smart defender, and he just understands that part of the game.

It would have been very easy for Jones, a starter for years at Washington to demand more shots and more of a role on offense. He did not do that though, he just did what was asked of and in many ways relished and grew into that role. If asked to set screens he did that, if asked to defend a bigger, larger player than him in the post he did that, if asked to guard a quick athletic scoring guard he did that as well.

In terms of intangibles, Jones is about as solid as they come. His coaches rave about his work ethic and at ude off the court, and he’s known as a quiet hard-working type off the court as well.


Weaknesses
The biggest concern about Jones is whether he is going to be an offensive liability at the next level.

For a player that is going to be a SG/SF in the NBA, he does not handle the basketball very well, particularly with his left hand. He is effective when he can take one or two steps and go to the hoop; however he has shown problems effectively handling the ball for longer periods of time than that. That will hurt him because he has the athletic ability to finish strong at the hoop and still does at times, but it makes him less of an offensive weapon because he cannot attack off the dribble as effectively as most guards or wings.

To truly develop into the type of role player that can be valuable to an NBA team, Jones must continue to hone his perimeter shooting. He has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers over his career at Washington, but has been very streaky and hasn’t always had to green light from his coaching staff to take these types of shots. He has range on his jumper, but his mechanics are the main thing holding him back, releasing the ball from too far in front of his body in a way that does not allow him to get a consistent release point on his shot. Jones can knock down 3’s with his feet set, but when pressured he struggles to get it off. Jones will not be a great three-point shooter at the next level, but for the defense to respect him he will have to improve that part of his game a great deal

With his lack of consistent slashing and perimeter shooting skills, Jones is a fairly limited player who needs offense created for him by teammates. It’s not so much strictly a lack of ability that is the sole concern with Jones, but also a tendency to be extremely passive on the court and pass up wide open shots on the offensive end. Jones dispelled these concerns a bit with the way he performed at Portsmouth, but the tapes from his senior year show otherwise.

Ideally, Jones would have an offensive game equal to the greatness of his defensive game, but he does not. However in the NBA defensive players can usually stay on the court longer than just pure offensive players can because they are not a liability on defense. With that being the case if he shows any glimpse of an offensive game be it short put backs off offensive rebounds or just simply hitting the open jump shot, he should be able to find a way to stay on the floor.

Compe ion
Statistics really don’t do Jones credit because statistics do not numerically chart the impact a defensive player can make on the game outside of steals, rebounds and blocks, which he refuses to gamble for just to pad his numbers. Where Jones is a standout is his defensive foot speed and technique on the defensive end. He has put up some solid games in a solid Pac-10 conference however. No matter if he is matched up against a guard or a post player, he will always do a very solid job on the defensive end.

Outlook
Jones likely has the athletic ability and the defensive ability to stick in the NBA until he develops the rest of his game. His overall weaknesses in ball handling and shooting will limit what he can
do at the next level, however, a defender is a defender and at his size with his athletic skills, he can play at the next level and be a great defensive stopper.

If he shoots the three like he did as a sop re or senior he will be in trouble, but since he has proven he can play guard and is not considered just a skinny post player he is currently is a solid 2nd round pick potentially.

What greatly helped his stock beyond his showing at Portsmouth was his performance against Dee Brown and James Augustine in the NCAA tournament. This was a great showcase of how he can change a game with his on the ball and post defense.

[ThomasGranger]

Note to Bobby Jones: if you want a shot at being on the Spurs next year study Bruce and Ime and work on your three point shot!

[wildbill2u]

Note to Bobby Jones: if you want a shot at being on the Spurs next year study Bruce and Ime and work on your three point shot!

Another note to B. Jones: Ask Chip if he will adopt you.

[Solid D]

Bobby got some nice minutes last night vs. the Warriors. He had fairly quick reactions, feet and hands. He instinctively helped on D and he created a steal and a near-steal. He didn't have much of an idea of where to go on offense but who can blame him for that?

Also, I'm not all about the latest basketball shoe fashions but it looked like Bobby Jones either borrowed Coach Mike Bud's workout shoes or just wore his "every days". He was sliding around a bit out there. I think I saw a pair of those models tied together by their shoe-laces and hanging down from a power line on Bandera Road. My guess is Bobby will have some new ones on his feet for the next game.

[SenorSpur]

His seemingly boneheaded play along with not playing within the system and not play defense were his downfall.

Wow! That's interesting stuff about D-Wash. Even more because they chose to keep him on the opening day roster. Personally I didn't think his defense was that bad. It certainly wasn't any worse than say, a Damon Stoudamire. But hey, I'm not the coach. I'm sure they saw something else. Based on that, I wouldn't assume he'll be back in Spurs training camp anytime soon.

[SenorSpur]

Here's what Draft Express thinks of Bobby, seems like a consumate Spur.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bobby-Jones-351/

Strengths
Bobby Jones is a defensive stopper in the truest sense. He has great size and quickness and moves his feet intelligently, always staying in front of his man and taking great pride in harassing whoever he is guarding. He is a versatile defender as well; being used in college to defend any position on the court 1-5. Jones does a good job with post defense and he can defend shorter players on the perimeter as well. He is exceptional at sliding his feet from side to side, knowing when to extend or advance his on the ball defensive position and having the instincts to retreat backwards while staying in his defensive stance and keeping his technique.

He is not incredibly thick or bulky as a player physically but is a very good athlete overall. He runs the court well, can slash to the hoop, finish in traffic and make some agile plays while in the air. He is a quick leaper as well that can get off the ground in a hurry. Jones has a very good wingspan and uses it on defense to get into the passing lanes and pick up steals.

Jones is mostly a role player and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Offensively he is a decent slasher, being able to take a few short dribbles with his right hand to get to the hoop. Jones moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket and looking for opportunities to come up with cheap baskets in the paint. Once at the rim, he has the length and athleticism to finish well at the hoop.

Most of his scoring opportunities on offense will come in the form of put backs off offensive rebounds or layups created by teammates. Jones anticipates well and uses his quick leaping ability on the glass to get the ball at its highest point. For a SG or SF he is an above average rebounder, and can also use his length and quickness to get loose balls on defense and offense.

Bobby Jones is not going to be a star at the next level, instead he is your consummate role player who could be a true defensive stopper in the NBA under the right coach. The special thing about Jones is the defensive versatility he has shown in college, being asked to guard all positions on the floor. If asked to switch on a screen in the NBA this will come in very handy as he is used to defending all kinds of
offensive players, which will increase his value at the next level. He is a smart defender, and he just understands that part of the game.

It would have been very easy for Jones, a starter for years at Washington to demand more shots and more of a role on offense. He did not do that though, he just did what was asked of and in many ways relished and grew into that role. If asked to set screens he did that, if asked to defend a bigger, larger player than him in the post he did that, if asked to guard a quick athletic scoring guard he did that as well.

In terms of intangibles, Jones is about as solid as they come. His coaches rave about his work ethic and at ude off the court, and he’s known as a quiet hard-working type off the court as well.


Weaknesses
The biggest concern about Jones is whether he is going to be an offensive liability at the next level.

For a player that is going to be a SG/SF in the NBA, he does not handle the basketball very well, particularly with his left hand. He is effective when he can take one or two steps and go to the hoop; however he has shown problems effectively handling the ball for longer periods of time than that. That will hurt him because he has the athletic ability to finish strong at the hoop and still does at times, but it makes him less of an offensive weapon because he cannot attack off the dribble as effectively as most guards or wings.

To truly develop into the type of role player that can be valuable to an NBA team, Jones must continue to hone his perimeter shooting. He has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers over his career at Washington, but has been very streaky and hasn’t always had to green light from his coaching staff to take these types of shots. He has range on his jumper, but his mechanics are the main thing holding him back, releasing the ball from too far in front of his body in a way that does not allow him to get a consistent release point on his shot. Jones can knock down 3’s with his feet set, but when pressured he struggles to get it off. Jones will not be a great three-point shooter at the next level, but for the defense to respect him he will have to improve that part of his game a great deal

With his lack of consistent slashing and perimeter shooting skills, Jones is a fairly limited player who needs offense created for him by teammates. It’s not so much strictly a lack of ability that is the sole concern with Jones, but also a tendency to be extremely passive on the court and pass up wide open shots on the offensive end. Jones dispelled these concerns a bit with the way he performed at Portsmouth, but the tapes from his senior year show otherwise.

Ideally, Jones would have an offensive game equal to the greatness of his defensive game, but he does not. However in the NBA defensive players can usually stay on the court longer than just pure offensive players can because they are not a liability on defense. With that being the case if he shows any glimpse of an offensive game be it short put backs off offensive rebounds or just simply hitting the open jump shot, he should be able to find a way to stay on the floor.

Compe ion
Statistics really don’t do Jones credit because statistics do not numerically chart the impact a defensive player can make on the game outside of steals, rebounds and blocks, which he refuses to gamble for just to pad his numbers. Where Jones is a standout is his defensive foot speed and technique on the defensive end. He has put up some solid games in a solid Pac-10 conference however. No matter if he is matched up against a guard or a post player, he will always do a very solid job on the defensive end.

Outlook
Jones likely has the athletic ability and the defensive ability to stick in the NBA until he develops the rest of his game. His overall weaknesses in ball handling and shooting will limit what he can
do at the next level, however, a defender is a defender and at his size with his athletic skills, he can play at the next level and be a great defensive stopper.

If he shoots the three like he did as a sop re or senior he will be in trouble, but since he has proven he can play guard and is not considered just a skinny post player he is currently is a solid 2nd round pick potentially.

What greatly helped his stock beyond his showing at Portsmouth was his performance against Dee Brown and James Augustine in the NCAA tournament. This was a great showcase of how he can change a game with his on the ball and post defense.

I love how the Spurs go after guys who have demonstrated a mindset and an appreciation for playing defense. This guy sounds defensively solid - even more so that perhaps Marcus Williams. It's a shame they burned a pick on a guy that isn't around here anymore.