Dwayne Jones

[...] Tolliver's contract with Cleveland was a typical 'summer' (read as 'training camp') contract. It was a fully unguaranteed rookie minimum salary contract, which, in the 2007/08 season, was worth $427,163. Tolliver was one of several camp signings for the Cavaliers that season - alongside Noel Felix, Chet Mason, Hassan Adams, Darius Rice, and a re-signed Dwayne Jones - and was an outside shot to make the roster based purely on the numbers game alone.

Dwayne Jones - 31 games, 36.4 mpg, 18.0 ppg, 15.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.6 bpg, 2.3 TOpg, 60% FG, 43% 3PT (3-7), 61% FT

Fujian signed Patrick O'Bryant incredibly early on, but were underwhelmed by him, his effort, his unwillingless to play under the basket and his preseason performances, and released him two days before the season began. They replaced him with Jones, who could not make him back into the NBA this offseason, and Jones promptly led the league in rebounding. This was somewhat predictable, for Jones is one of the best rebounders there is in any league. Jones also had arguably the single most incredible statline in the CBA season; in only the fourth game of the year, Jones put up a 36 point, 31 rebound 3 block performance in a game Fujian lost anyway. Kevin Love sympathises.

Jones continues to rebound the crap out of the D-League, and it is for this simple reason that he keeps making it back to the big league. He averaged 17.6 points and a whopping 16.0 rebounds (6.2 of which were offensive) for the Austin Toros last season, alongside 1.8 blocks per game. Offensively, Jones doesn't offer much; he doesn't have touch or much strength, gets stripped easily, offers nothing away from the basket, and while he gets fouled a lot, he's not a good free throw shooter. But that rebounding rate can't be discredited. Phoenix signed Jones down the stretch of last season, traded him as filler in the Hedo deal, and brought him back after Toronto cut him; this time around, he has a $50,000 guarantee, and every chance of making the team again.

- Dwayne Jones - Perhaps inevitably, Jones was waived by the Raptors. He is now by default one of the better players on this list. Jones is a thoroughly awkward offensive player, but he defends around the rim and grabs rebounds like few others. He keeps getting back into the NBA for good reason.

- Dwayne Jones

As usual, Dwayne Jones got a training camp contract this October, this time with the San Antonio Spurs. He did not make the team, and went to play for Crvena Zvezda, but he was released after only a couple of days. No official reason was given for this; the unofficial reason was that they just didn't feel comfortable with him, much like Hedo Turkoglu didn't like the vibe from Portland after he got there. Or whatever.

Jones instead to the D-League to play for the Spurs affiliate, the Austin Toros. Down there he's been averaging 40 minutes, 17.4 points and a league leading (if not world leading) 16.0 rebounds per game. Jones is not much of an offensive player, but he should have been called up long ago. He rebounds, he defends, and he's big enough to do both at the next level. And even if he can't post or shoots, he gets to the foul line a ton and grabs a ridiculously big number of offensive rebounds. Those are two offensive skills. He is not hopeless there. And thus he should be in the NBA.

But he isn't. He's had his tryouts, including ones with Dallas and Washington this season. But for whatever reason, he can't even get as much as a ten day contract. I am starting to think that he walks into GM's offices and craps on GM's desks, because there appears to be no other obvious reasons as to why he's not in the league right now.