Nuggets Report: Bobby Jones re-signed

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 03:15 p.m., April 11, 2008
Updated 11:13 p.m., April 11, 2008

Don Ryan / Associated Press

Forward Bobby Jones, center, took "quite a journey" in returning to the Nuggets.

After a historic odyssey, forward Bobby Jones is back.

Jones on Friday re-signed with the Nuggets, who waived him Jan. 7. After his departure, he went on to set an NBA record of playing for five teams in one season.

"It was quite a journey, but it feels good to be back," Jones said.

Jones signed a prorated $687,456 minimum contract for the rest of this season and a nonguaranteed $797,581 minimum deal for next season, which gives the Nuggets a bargaining chip to use in a possible trade. Jones said the Nuggets must make a call on his contract right after he plays in the summer league in July.

Jones' 10-day contract with San Antonio expired Thursday, and the Spurs considered retaining him. But with guard Brent Barry out because of a calf injury, the Spurs decided instead to sign former Denver guard DerMarr Johnson.

The Nuggets also had looked into signing NBA Development League guard Dahntay Jones, but Bobby Jones, 24, is three years younger, and the Nuggets want to groom a prospect. And they are very familiar with Bobby Jones, who averaged 3.3 points in 23 games with them.

After being waived by Denver, Bobby Jones signed 10-day deals with Memphis, Houston, Miami, then San Antonio.

"When I heard that I had tied the record, I didn't want to go anywhere else," he said. "But once Miami let me go, why not get the record?"

With an injured Nene doubtful tonight at Utah, Bobby Jones is expected to be in uniform.

"I'm glad that I'm back," he said. "I feel I've grown a lot as a player."

Nuggets not relaxing

The Nuggets put a half-Nelson on the No. 8 spot in the West playoff race Thursday by beating Don Nelson's Warriors. But they know they can't relax.

"(The Nuggets have) a huge advantage," said coach George Karl, whose Nuggets won 114-105 at Golden State. "But if they win all their games (three) the rest of the way, we're going to have to win two (of three).

"We can't mess around. We've got to find a way to win and win as soon as we can."

The Nuggets (48-31), who hold the tiebreaker over the Warriors, would clinch a playoff berth tonight if they beat Utah and Golden State (47-32) loses at home to the Clippers. If the Nuggets win tonight and at home Sunday against Houston, they clinch regardless of what the Warriors do.

"Everybody is excited, but we're not too excited," Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera said. "We've got a long way to go, and it starts with the game against Utah."

The Jazz has wrapped up the Northwest Division and clinched at least the No. 4 seed. But Utah still is trying to get home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Father vs. son?

There remains a chance Karl could face his son's team in the first round of the playoffs.

"That would be fine with me," said Karl, knowing Coby Karl likely won't play much in the postseason for the Lakers, probably being inactive.

If the Nuggets make the playoffs, they're most likely to be No. 8, which could mean a date with current No. 1 New Orleans. But they still could catch Dallas for No. 7, which would mean a date with No. 2, a position many teams could claim, including the Lakers.

Denver is two games behind Dallas. But the Nuggets hold the tiebreaker.

Camby's quest

Nuggets center Marcus Camby is getting ample support in his quest to win a second straight Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also has a shot at third-team All-NBA center.

Orlando's Dwight Howard and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, who played center most of the season until Shaquille O'Neal arrived, figure to man spots on the first two teams. For third team, candidates include Houston's Yao Ming, hampered by playing in only 55 games because of injury, Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, New Orleans' Tyson Chandler and Camby.

"Until we get in the playoffs, I'm not focusing on anything else," said Camby, averaging 13.3 rebounds and a league-high 3.58 blocks.

Numbers game

4teams that will have made the playoffs five consecutive years, if the Nuggets get there. San Antonio (11 straight), Dallas (eight) and Detroit (seven) already have clinched berths.

He said it

"We feel good about everything we've done at this point, but we feel we could have done better. But we still have an opportunity to get in (the playoffs)."

Allen Iverson, Nuggets guard.

Nuggets at Jazz

* When: 7 tonight.

* Where: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City.

* TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-FM (104.3).

* Starting lineups

Denver (48-31) Pos. Ht. Pts.

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 26.1

4 Kenyon Martin F 6-8 12.6

23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 9.3

25 Anthony Carter G 6-2 7.9

3 Allen Iverson G 6-0 26.4

Coach: George Karl

Utah (52-27) Pos. Ht. Pts.

47 Andrei Kirilenko F 6-9 11.1

5 Carlos Boozer F 6-9 21.3

13 Mehmet Okur C 6-11 14.6

9 Ronnie Brewer G 6-7 12.0

8 Deron Williams G 6-3 19.0

Coach: Jerry Sloan

* Injuries: Denver - F Nene (right groin strain) is doubtful. Utah - None.

* Notes: The Jazz has clinched the Northwest Division, but guard J.R. Smith said the Nuggets want to let it be known they're still around. "That's the kind of message we want to send," said Smith, whose Nuggets can clinch a playoff berth as soon as tonight. . . . Iverson is banged up, with a fractured right ring finger and a sore hip after landing hard in a big 114-105 win Thursday at Golden State. "It was a war," Iverson said after the game. "My body feels exactly like that from the fall I took." . . . The teams meet for the final time this season, with the Jazz leading 2-1. . . . Utah is an NBA-best 35-4 at home, including a 132-105 rout of Denver on March 8.

• April 11, 2008

  4:07 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  joeblow writes:

  Bobby Jones is coming back!! That's great news! The end of the bench always looked so empty without him.

• April 12, 2008

  12:26 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  dano writes:

  Remember when we traded the real Bobby Jones for George McGinnis? What a bad trade that was.

• April 12, 2008

  7:59 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  positivefreedom writes:

  Yes, I was a Sixers fan then and Doc needed certain role players around him more than another ball hog who did not play D. That trade helped make the Sixers champions, getting rid of McGinnis and eventually getting Moses to give Kareem fits.

  Interesting parallels with AI trade...

• April 12, 2008

  9:16 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  TONE writes:

  This Nugget team kind of reminded me of the Atlanta team of the 80s and 90, when they have a roster of Domenik Wilken(sry for typo), Moses Malone and can't remember who else, but they have an all stars team. But they just can't seem to get it going. Well then again, there were MJ who stand in the way every year in the playoff. They looked good with all star name. The Nugget kind of remind me of that team. Just look at their roster and you have all star on the team.