Free agency is coming, and one guy who may have enormous appeal for the Nets is Phoenix power forward Amar’e Stoudemire from Lake Wales, Fla. And in a market where so many teams will have so much money to spend, any edge helps. So among the Nets’ prospects working out yesterday was South Florida guard Dominique Jones, from Lake Wales, Fla.
So, have you talked to Amar’e?
“No,” Jones said.
OK, anybody from Akron, Ohio?
Actually, Jones’ coincidental relationship with Stoudemire had nothing to do with his presence in East Rutherford. He’s seen has a possible late first-, definite early second-round pick. In addition to holding the third overall choice, the Nets go late in the first round at 27 and early in the second at 31. If the Nets go big at No. 3 “it could have a big impact what we do later, sure,” president Rod Thorn said.
“A combo guard. Joe Dumars-ish, if you want to name a point of reference. He can probably play some point, but more of a scoring third guard right now,” said Nets assistant Tom Barrise who helped conduct the workouts.
Blessed with an NBA body that stands 6-foot-5 in shoes, Jones averaged 21.4 for Big East South Florida, shooting 45 percent as a junior. The word many scouts and NBA executives used describing him was “interesting.”
You also could use confident.
“If I get the opportunity, I’m going to shine,” Jones said, listing his NBA strengths. “Getting to the basket. I can knock down that jump shot. . . . My defense. Basically, no one thing. I do it all. . . . I’m good.”
Among the cast of six yesterday were two others the Nets like a lot — Oklahoma’s Tiny Gallon, 6-9½ and 301 pounds (by Chicago combine measurements), and 6-foot-10½, 222-pound VCU power forward Larry Sanders and his 757 wingspan (7-5¾). Gallon is compared with Glen “Big Baby” Davis, just bigger. Sanders has a Chris Bosh-type game. Sanders summed himself in a word: energy.
“My ability to run and use my length,” Sanders said is what appeals to general managers.
The Nets also worked Duke power forward Lance Thomas, Louisiana Tech power forward Magnum Rolle, UAB wing Elijah Millsap, the brother of Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap.