Losing James Jones Might Hurt Blazers More Than Fans Think

James Jones was one of the Portland Trail Blazers' most important role players of the 2007-08 season. Jones had a prolific first half of the year, leading the NBA in three-point field goal percentage. A knee injury sustained in early February took him out of contention from the race, but it was widely recognized that he would have finished the season as the NBA's best three-point shooter.

Instead of exercising his player option that would have kept him in a Blazers uniform and paid him a handsome $3.1 million, he chose to test the waters of free agency. Being a South Florida native, he signed a five-year, $23 million (roughly) contract with the Miami Heat, where he will team up with Dwayne Wade, Shawn Marion, and newly drafted Michael Beasley.

His 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game don't reflect on what an asset he really is. Although it's a stale phrase, "stats aren't everything" perfectly applies to a player like Jones. He doesn't need big minutes to make his contribution; he gave Portland a huge boost while only playing 22.0 minutes per game.

The reason for his outstanding value despite so few minutes comes from his style of play. While players like Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are putting up big numbers in points, assists and rebounds, Jones is doing the little things that are needed but far too often overlooked. His free-throw percentage is a sterling 88 percent, and he always seems to make spectacular plays that aren't recorded on the stat sheet.

Although Jones' great percentage from the charity stripe seems like his best stat after his accuracy from beyond the arc, there is one that truly stands out above the rest. It's hard for people who don't regularly watch Trail Blazers games to understand Jones' value. Let's take a look at the Blazers' overall record in relation to Jones' playing time:

• Record when James Jones played over 24 minutes: 22-6

• Record when James Jones played under 24 minutes: 19-35

As you can clearly see above, the Blazers won much more frequently when Jones was on the floor. A simple correlation emerges from this analysis: When Jones plays well, the Blazers play well. His constant three-point threat kept defenses honest and took pressure off players like Aldridge and Joel Pryzbilla. He was pivotal during the Blazers' improbable 13-game win streak, averaging a monster 52.5 percent from long range.

While all of these on-the-court skills that Jones brings to the table are useful, it's his off-the-court reputation that sets him apart. Jones' personality is exactly what the Blazers front office has been looking for to shed the "Jail Blazer" image.

The additions of Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez and Jerrod Bayless will improve the Blazers' record, but the loss of Jones will be sorely missed. Although the Blazers roster is full of character guys and great locker-room personalities, no one has the same ability that Jones did from behind the three-point line.

The most likely candidate to fill his shoes is Martell Webster, but consistency has been an issue for the 2005 sixth-overall pick. Another is Fernandez, who was known to be a great shooter in the Euroleague, though that's not guaranteed to translate to the NBA.

Kudos to the Miami Heat for a great pick-up. As a Blazers fan, it is sad to see such a quality player and individual go, but that's how the business works.