On Friday, the Denver Nuggets signed swingman Dahntay Jones to a one year contract filling the holes at shooting guard and further burying J.R. Smith on the depth chart if he returns.
Jones had previous stints with Sacramento, Memphis and Boston, with the Kings being his most recent. He averaged 3.2 PPG, 0.5 APG, 1.4 RPG.
In college, Dahntay split time between Rutgers and Duke, staying all four years.
Jones averaged double figures and over four rebounds per game, highlighted by his sophomore season, in which he shot over 50% from the field, and in his senior year; averaging a career high 17.7 PPG.
Jones will act as Smith's body double, inheriting the role of the Nuggets ''sparkplug'' off the bench.
Simply because of the signing, the Nuggets no longer need to pursue re-signing Smith and now are able to venture into other expeditions in bettering their team.
Another reason not to offer Smith a contract?
Why sign J.R. Smith to a one year $5 million restricted tag offer, when he will give way under the temptation of starting on another team and will be attracted to bigger money in the 2008-09 off season?
Let's look at the common ground between the two:
SG Dahntay Jones 6-6 210lbs
Drafted 2003
2007-08 Numbers: 24.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 BPG, 52.4% FG in the D-League
SG J.R. Smith
2007-08 Season Numbers: 12.3 PPG, 1.7 APG, 2.1 RPG, 40.3% 3PT FG
Playoffs 18.3 PPG, 1.8 APG, 1.8 RPG, 1 SPG, 31.3 % 3PT FG
J.R. Smith has career averages of 10.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 36.6 3PT FG
Dahntay has career averages of 4.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 44.1 FG%
Jones is also more coachable, and is a greater on ball defender then the often disgruntled Smith.
Dahntay Jones is just as explosive as J.R. Smith and at a cheaper price.
Aside from the Smith-Jones debate, the Nuggets are littered with shooting guards: Sonny Weems, Allen Iverson, and Linas Kleiza. All are armed to the teeth with a multitude of moves allowing them to score the baksetball.
While Sonny Weems is still unsigned, Denver invested a second round pick on him, being there's a minimal chance that he won't be signed to a contract.
By adding Jones, Smith's future on the Nuggets team is is in dire jeopardy.
12 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Mike Turnell 11 months ago
I still don't see why Dahntay Jones would be an improvement over JR Smith, the only place Jones ever found success was in the D-League. JR just came off a great playoff performance against a great Lakers team.
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Sean Stancill 11 months ago
Dahntay Jones is an exact replica of J.R. Smith and with a better attitude and a will to win baksteball games.
Smith's attitude is unacceptable and and will hurt the Nuggets rather than help them. Granted, J.R. had a nice outing against the Lakers in the playoffs, but so did Carmelo and Iverson. The Nuggets are plentiful with high priced scorers refuse to defend, and J.R. Smith is just another one.
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Mike Turnell 11 months ago
Seeing as you're a huge Nugget fan, I'd assume you know more. It's just hard to take the risk and replace such a talented player for one who has only proven himself in the D-League.
I think the only thing the Nuggets should be focusing on is defense. They could trade away JR for a defensive-minded player and still be as explosive offensively. Once again, you would know better, so if Jones is JR Smith with defense, this is definitely a great pick-up.
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Sean Stancill 11 months ago
Their defense has rebounded with Renaldo Balkman replacing Najera, and the Nuggets are still searching the market for a defensive point guard.
The Nuggets weren't a very good defensive team to begin with so the Camby loss is putting salt on the wounds. Denver will continue to make changes this offseason to at least make their defense look presentable.
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Brian Sisk 11 months ago
Dahntay Jones is not going to "bury" J.R. on the depth chart. Jones averaged 21 points a game in summer league, J.R. averaged 19 in the playoffs. If anything the Nuggets are going to move Iverson or kindly ask him to play the point, either way, Smith will be the the starter shooting gaurd. All indications are that Denver will match any offer for Smith unless it is ridiculously high but there is no one with the cap space to do that.
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Sean Stancill 11 months ago
The problem is no one has offered J.R. Smith a deal, even the Nuggets. Not the Spurs, Celtics, Clippers, or the Grizzlies as predicted have thrown a single dollar J.R.'s way and has realized that he is more of a risk than a reward type of player.
The Nuggets aren't done making offseason moves quite yet. They still have a few moves left to make like: Adding a point guard and another center
If Smith remains with Denver, it will be pointless considering he will be a rental for only one season.
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Mike Turnell 11 months ago
Points aren't what the Nuggets should be worried about. They could keep Melo and Iverson, then add defensive players around them; in my opinion this would solve a lot of problems. One thing that worries me (well, it doesn't really worry me, as I'm a Blazer fan haha) is that Denver just let their two best defensive stoppers (Camby and Najera) get away from them. If you think their defense was bad last year, it may be even worse now.
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Travis R. 11 months ago
Camby has great numbers but I kinda felt like his weak-side defending just gave the rest of the team the idea that they didn't have to actually play any D cuz he was gonna be there to clean up the mess.... problem is he couldn't do it EVERY time so they eventually faltered.
I hope the addition of some new defensive minded players will give the nuggets the defensive foundation that they've missed the past few years (or more) and enable them to really shine offensively. Because nothing is more frustrating than seeing a great offensive team score only to have their points erased by lack of a defensive mindset.
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Drew 11 months ago
Im sorry but this is a terrible article. Comparing these two players as equals is a complete joke. If the A.I. trade never came about, Melo and Smith would be doing exactly what Melo and A.I. have been doing the past couple years. The only thing holding J.R. back is somewhat his attitude but mainly George Carl. I have season tickets and watch every nuggets game and for every second that Kleiza playes and takes away from J.R. just completely blows my mind and pisses me off. The nuggets are not stupid enought to believe that a player who could hardly make an NBA roster and is a D-leauge star, with emphasis on D-leauge, can even come remotely close to replacing and amazing young and developing talent that J.R. is. In the nuggets last playoff game J.R. was absolutely giving it to Kobe, and there was nothing Kobe could do to stop it. Jones would never be able to perform like that. I can kinda see where the concept for this article comes from, but I think is very misleading and unfounded.
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Hugh Jass 11 months ago
This was probably the most obvious article I have ever read in my life. Of course JR Smith is the odd man out. They can't sign him anyways. They don't have any money.
Are stats all you care about? Stats don't mean anything unless you win in the playoffs and that is something Denver hasn't done.
Scoring is overrated. That's why the Nuggets are so unsuccessful when they reach the playoffs. Once they meet teams that understand that defense wins games, not offense, they get obliterated.
All you talk about is scoring and stats. Sure, scoring is great. But when you're Denver and you have Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, scoring isn't what you need out of your other role players. Denver needs defense and chemistry. More scorers won't do that.
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Cody Blubaugh 11 months ago
What do you mean they can't resign him? They don't have the money? JR is a restricted free agent, so the Nuggets can match any offer if wanted. Also being he is restricted, even with the Nuggets over the cap, they can throw whatever amount they want at him.
I honestly believe part of getting rid of Camby was to free up cash to keep JR.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53886/20080805/smith_re_signing_with_denver_imminent/
Also, it seems you don't care for Sean's articles, so why even bother reading and commenting? Just curious.
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Hugh Jass 11 months ago
I bother reading and commenting on Sean's articles because I think it's funny what he believes could play out.
You know that just about every article he's written is bull crap. Tell me you don't think so. So why does anyone bother reading any of Sean's articles? Tell me that.
I comment on Sean's articles to let him know how ridiculous they are.
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