LeBron gets more NBA backcourt help
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-09-09 09:09

CLEVELAND, United States - LeBron James will be counting upon Damon Jones to provide a long-range shooting threat next season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who signed the free agent guard to a four-year contract. AFP reported.

LeBron James will be counting upon Damon Jones, pictured May 2005, to provide a long-range shooting threat next season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who signed the free agent guard to a four-year contract. [AFP]

The National Basketball Association deal will bring the veteran point guard a reported 15 million dollars. Jones averaged a career-high 11.6 points in 82 games, 66 starts, with the Miami Heat last season.

Jones ranked fifth in the NBA among 3-point shooters, sinking 43.2 percent of his shots (225-of-521). That was 10 percent better than the Cavaliers' team average from beyond the arc last season.

"Damon will be a great addition to our core group," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "His character, his ability to shoot the basketball from the perimeter and his playmaking skills will be a solid asset."

Jones, 29, will join Larry Hughes in forcing defenses to guard against an outside threat and potentially leave more room inside for the playmaking skills of superstar forward LeBron James.

Hughes scored a career-high 22 points a game on 43 percent shooting and led the NBA with 2.9 steals in 61 games for the Washington Wizards last season.

Jones and Hughes both guided their teams into the Eastern Conference playoffs last season while the Cavaliers went 42-40 and missed out despite James pouring in 27.2 points a game, third best in the NBA.

Jones has not spent more than one season with the same team since entering the NBA with New Jersey in 1998.

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