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ORLANDO, Fla. -- There is a reason Damion James looks like he has a chip on his shoulder at the Orlando Pro Summer League this week.It's easy to see one.
Jones, the rookie small forward from Texas, had another big game Wednesday night, the first 30-point game in the league this week, leading his New Jersey Nets to a 94-91 victory over the Orlando Magic.
While guys like Evan Turner (76ers), teammate Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward (Jazz) are getting all the attention, James is outplaying them all.
In his first three games, he has scored 11, 21 and 30 points. While the other three went 2, 3 and 9 in the NBA Draft last month, James was picked 24th by Atlanta, then traded to New Jersey.
"I've got something to prove here. I was disappointed where I was drafted. I'm better than 24th. I should have been higher,'' he said Wednesday. "That's not something you forget easily.''
Share James spent four years at Texas, and he plays like it, with more maturity and focus than the other rookies. There is nothing weak or tentative about his game. More than the others, he looks NBA ready.
"The whole draft thing really put a fire in my tank,'' he said. "I came here with the intention of proving I belong. It's turning into a great opportunity for me, coming to a team that loves me. That's a good feeling now.''
New Nets coach Avery Johnson already has taken a special interest in James. Although Johnson isn't coaching the Summer League team, he has been offering advice to James from his seat across the court.
James originally made himself eligible for the 2009 NBA Draft, but he withdrew his name when told it was unlikely he would be picked very high. So he returned to the University of Texas, where he averaged 18 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field.
At 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, he played power forward in college, setting Big 12 and school records for his rebounding. In the NBA, though, his lack of size has left him without a well-defined position.
The Nets have used him here at small forward and even shooting guard, giving him more scoring and fewer rebounding opportunities.
"I was home with my family, and I cried on draft night. That's how disappointed I was,'' James said. "I was disappointed, I was angry and I was happy all at once. I can already see this is working out for the best. I'll make sure it does.''
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