BOSTON — Born 19 years apart, Shawn Marion and Derrick Jones Jr. before this season had little in common beyond the fact that both played one season at UNLV and began their NBA careers in Phoenix.
Marion was a No. 9 overall draft pick; Jones went undrafted.
Marion is overdue for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; Jones is a journeyman.
They are intertwined now, though, 6-7 Marion as the all-around defensive stalwart of the Mavericks’ 2011 NBA championship run; 6-5 Jones as the versatile stopper of this current Mavericks journey to Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
As the Mavericks enter Monday night’s Game 5 in TD Garden trailing 3-1, but coming off a 38-point destruction of Boston in Game 4, Jones has played admirably as the primary defender of Celtics leading scorer Jayson Tatum; much as Marion did against Miami’s LeBron James in 2011.
Marion told The Dallas Morning News he’s closely watching Jones and the Mavericks.
“He’s definitely a shuffle piece that you can put him in different places because he’s very athletic,” Marion said of Jones. “He’s mobile. And he’s tall. So he’s got the length. He’s a versatile defender.”
Tatum is averaging 20 points per game on 36.5% shooting in the finals, well under his regular-season averages of 27 points and 47.1% shooting.
James averaged 17.8 points and 47.8% shooting in the 2011 finals, well below his season averages of 26.7 points and 51% shooting.
As in 2011 against James and Dwyane Wade, other players have taken turns guarding Tatum and Jaylen Brown and the Mavericks likewise have employed double teams — but Jones’ stretches of on-ball defense on Tatum have stood out as did Marion’s on James.
“When I got old enough to watch basketball, of course I followed Shawn Marion throughout his career,” Jones told The News.
That includes, he said, the 2011 championship run, during which Marion guarded the likes of Portland’s Brandon Roy in the first round; the Lakers’ Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant in the second round; Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in the third round; and then James and Wade.
“He just guarded whoever they put him in front of,” Jones said. “Because that’s just the way he was. He took on every matchup whenever his number was called.”
That sounds a lot like a certain current Maverick. A Maverick who early in the playoffs raised eyebrows, and induced laughter, by declaring “I fear no man.”
How’s this for a playoff gauntlet? Jones during the first round against the Clippers primarily was matched against Paul George; in the second round OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; in the third round Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards; in the finals Tatum.
According to NBA.com advanced tracking, Tatum — during 15:17 of possessions guarded directly by Jones and 74:06 minutes of partial possessions guarded by Jones — has scored six points, shot 14.3% from the field and 25% from 3-point distance.
In four games of these finals, Tatum has had games of 16, 18, 31 and 15 points. Tatum was a minus-33 during 27 minutes of court time in Game 4.
“A year ago this time, we were down 0-3 [in the Eastern Conference finals] and we were essentially fighting for our lives,” Tatum said of the Mavericks’ Game 4 performance. “So, yeah, we understand what it’s like from their point of view and they came out super aggressive.”
Unless the Mavericks make history by becoming the first NBA playoff team in 157 tries to successfully rally from a 3-0 series deficit, Jones’ and the Mavericks’ defense against Tatum and the Celtics won’t be remembered in the way Dallas throttled the Heat’s Big Three in 2011, but Marion is impressed.
“This is different basketball now,” he said. “These days it’s all iso and pick and roll; there’s no plays being called, so it’s feast or famine. With that being said, [Jones’] ability and athleticism definitely help.
“You can’t compare this style of basketball, but I’ll tell you what: I’m comparing their tenacity and their energy and effort on the floor and the camaraderie as a group. This is a special group. Man, I’m just in awe of it.”
UNLV’s Shawn “Matrix” Marion and Derrick “Airplane Mode” Jones Jr. haven’t had similar NBA careers, but they’ve brought similar mindsets to NBA Finals 13 years apart.
“We are just going to keep fighting,” Jones said of the Mavericks’ 3-1 hole. “That’s the type of team we are. That’s what we do.”
More from the Finals
—What ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said about Luka Doncic after Mavericks’ Game 4 win
—Mavericks’ Game 4 win over Celtics has fans at AAC believing they can beat the odds
—Charles Barkley predicts Mavs in 7, calls Celtics’ Game 4 ‘embarrassing’
—‘I have big belief in this team’: Mavericks, Luka Doncic put Celtics’ champagne on ice
—What to know about Mavericks-Celtics in NBA Finals: Schedule, how to watch, and more
Twitter: @townbrad
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
