Don't sleep on 'DoJo' this summer
Despite limited playing time the past two seasons, Earl K. Sneed writes that you might not want to overlook Dallas Mavericks guard Dominique Jones during the Las Vegas Summer League.
Don't sleep on 'DoJo' this summer
With one simple declaration via Twitter, Dallas Mavericks guard Dominique Jones made it clear that he intends to make his presence known at the Las Vegas Summer League.
Joining forces with a trio of rookies to headline the Mavs’ summer squad, Jones will look to make up for lost time after starring two summers ago before entering his first professional campaign. Now, after a lockout and a limited role during the shortened season, Jones will attempt to recapture the form that helped him earn All-Tournament honors in 2010.
The summer figures to only serve the former South Florida standout well after getting lost in a veteran-laden backcourt rotation early in his career. He entered the league after a junior year that saw him finish with First Team All-Big East honors and an All-American honorable mention, thanks to the nation’s 15th best scoring average of 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals an outing.
But that feels like forever ago now.
Jones has averaged just 7.7 minutes for the Mavs in the last two seasons while shuffling in and out of the NBA Development League, posting just 2.7 points on 39.7 percent shooting and 12.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc, in addition to 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists last year in his 33 appearances (one start).
Still, the 6-foot-4 combo guard’s 16.6 points per game in the Mavs' five matchups two summers ago -- and 28 points in a head-to-head matchup against then No. 1 overall pick John Wall -- did lead the team, and again Jones appears to be focused even before the team convenes on Thursday for the start of a mini camp.
And despite playing in just 51 games in his first two seasons, Jones took to his Twitter account with a workman-like approach while simply saying, “Heading to Vegas next week on business.”
