James Jones on Joining Cavs: 'Just Wanted an Open Opportunity to Play'
Seeing James Jones suit up in a Cavs uniform may be strange to South Floridians after spending the previous six seasons in a Heat uniform. After being used sparingly his last three seasons in Miami, he's averaging 17 minutes per game in the NBA Finals, in part due to some injuries.
"That's part of the reason I came [to Cleveland]," Jones said on the Big O Show. "I just wanted an open opportunity to play and compete and have a chance to impact my team's future on the floor. I've had that chance here. We've had some injuries. So, I've been forced to play the 2, the 3, the 4, but it's been fun. At the end of the day we're winning which is what really counts."
With Kyrie Irving sidelined, Matthew Dellavedova has also been making the most of his opportunities, throwing his body all over the court and hitting huge shots.
"He plays hard," Jones said. "And, it's rare that you see an NBA player out there laying it on the line until your tank is empty. Delly was an undrafted kid who didn't get a training camp invite and now you look at him and you see he's the starting point guard for the Cavs in the NBA Finals.
"It's a testament to how hard he works. He's just a gritty guy, and that's what you have to do against a great player like Steph Curry."