DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said he'll find out in tonight's home game against Golden State what type of progress Dominique Jones has made as the team's backup point guard.
"He's been capable of having impact nights, but it's all about sustaining,'' Carlisle said. "He can do a lot of things that are very good things.
"We need him to step out there and play hard and play with force and rebound and do the things that he did (Saturday against Cleveland). His energy was really good.''Jones played one of his better games of the season against Cleveland when he came off the bench to collect 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in only 18 minutes. If he can string a few games like that together, he will undoubtedly beat out Rodrigue Beaubois for the backup point guard spot behind Darren Collison.
"He did 10 days ago, Roddy got healthy, so I think he was out of it,'' Carlisle said. "So he's going to get another chance to play tonight and it's just a process of going out there and playing with energy and playing smart and tough.''
In consecutive games on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 against Charlotte and Portland, Jones contributed six points, two rebounds, six assists and one steal in 16 minutes against the Bobcats, and six points, one rebound, six assists and three steals against the Trail Blazers in 14 minutes.
But Jones' inconsistency showed when, over the next three games against Toronto, New York and Charlotte, he collected just three points, six rebounds, six assists and no steals.
"We need him to step out there and play hard and play with force and rebound and do the things that he did (against Cleveland),'' Carlisle said. "His energy was really good."
-- Dwain Price
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