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Cavaliers notebook
Jones gets an earful on phone from Shaq
Former teammate tells Cavs guard to be leader
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
CHICAGO - The way things have been going since the All-Star break, some Cavaliers probably needed a good talking to. Who figured it would come from Shaquille O'Neal?
The Miami Heat star dialed up friend and former teammate Damon Jones this week and let him have it about his recent play. Then he urged him to become more of a leader to his struggling teammates.
``He blamed the struggles of this team on me,'' Jones said. ``He told me that I know better because I've been there before and I've been on good teams and I should be passing along the way we approached games last year.''
Last season, Jones was with O'Neal on the 60-win Heat when he was a starter and had a larger role.
Things are different with the Cavs.
As a reserve, Jones has been mired in a slump for a large chunk of the season and has only really led the team in talking. He's vowing to change.
A regular on the second and later bus before games, Jones' routine for 57 games has been to come late, skip pre-game warm-ups and lounge in his suit until game time. He said he didn't want to waste his ``makes'' in warm-ups.
He's also said he's been in a slump and been passing up shots because his confidence was a little shaken.
``That routine was when I was getting 10-15 shots a night,'' said Jones, who led the team in 3-pointers heading into the game against the Chicago Bulls. ``That isn't the case anymore. So I need to make sure I'm ready to take advantage of my chances.''
Thursday, Jones was on the first bus from the team hotel to the United Center and one of the first Cavs out on the court warming up. He's vowed to reduce his famous ******r and increase his focus.
``I'm not going to do as much talking,'' he said. ``I'm going to try to approach it the same way I did last season and hopefully I can start leading by example.
``Shaq told me and I know it has come the time of the season when teams have to pick their play up and I need to lead by example on that.''