'It's gonna be good,' new Blazer Fred Jones says Ex-Duck guard, acquired in Dixon trade, calls playing for Portland a dream come true The Trail Blazers have upgraded the athleticism on their roster and eliminated a somewhat disgruntled player in Thursday's trade that sent Juan Dixon to Toronto for Freddie Jones in an exchange of undersized reserve shooting guards. Portland also received future considerations in the deal for Jones, a 6-2, 220-pound former Barlow High and University of Oregon standout who turns 28 on March 11. "This is probably the most excited I've been since I got drafted by the Pacers," Jones says. "Being a kid from Portland, this was always my dream. As a kid, I'd visualize myself at night in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform. "It's gonna be good." Jones will arrive in Portland on Friday. "I've had a smile on my face since Mr. (Bryan) Colangelo (Toronto's president and general manager) walked in the gym and told me I was coming home," Jones says, "and I'm sure that smile is going to get even bigger once I pull that jersey over my head." Jones has been known as Fred, Frederick and Freddie during his NBA career. "It doesn't matter to me at all. Whatever you call me, I'll answer," he says. Freddie is his preference, though, now that he is with the Blazers. "Since I'm back home, Freddie is what I'm accustomed to," he says. Jones played his first four years with Indiana, then signed a three-year, $9.9-million free-agent contract with Toronto that calls for him to make $3.1 million this season, $3.3 million in 2007-08 and $3.5 million in 2008-09. Jones figured to make a run at a starting job and did start nine games, but has not played as well as the Raptors had hoped. The newest Trail Blazer also has dealt with an injury — a dislocated middle finger in his right hand — and missed eight consecutive games before playing six minutes Wednesday night against Cleveland. "I'm fine," he says. Jones, who is averaging 7.6 points, has seen only 49 minutes of action since the first of the year and calls his season "up and down -- I started off really strong. We were playing a different style. Chris Bosh was out of the lineup and preseason, and that allowed us to play a little more uptempo." Jones, the slam-dunk champion during NBA All-Star weekend in 2004, was a key player off the bench his final two seasons with Indiana, averaging 10.5 points in 2004-05 and 9.6 points in 2005-06. But he has always struggled with perimeter shooting consistency. A .411 career shooter going into the season, Jones is shooting .387 from the field and .317 from 3-point range. "I feel like I can play all parts of the game," he says. "I went through a big struggle this year shooting the ball. I've improved on that since then, I just haven't got the time lately to get out and shoot the ball. I will improve that even more." The 6-3, 165-pound Dixon, 28, makes $2.7 million this year and $2.9 million next season. He is a better shooter than Jones and was Portland's best offensive perimeter threat off the bench much of the season, averaging 8.9 points per game while shooting .426 from the field and .364 from 3-point range. Dixon isn't much of a defender, though, and wasn't thrilled with a role that seemed to be decreasing. The Blazers evidently feel Jones has more overall value. “It’s always fun to add such a talented player with such strong local connections to our roster," Portland President/General Manager Steve Patterson said in a news release. “Fred is a versatile athlete with high character and a great track record of community involvement, and we think he fits perfectly into the culture we’ve been cultivating here in Portland.” Jones will wear the number 0 for Portland; Voshon Lenard is the only other player to have worn that jersey as a Blazer. Jones has worn No. 20, but the Blazers retired that number in honor of Maurice Lucas. "I had no idea what to pick," Jones says. "I tried to call my nephew, but he was at school. I was going to let him pick it." Finally, because No. 2 was taken (it belongs to Blazer guard Dan Dickau), Jones picked 0. "It was one of the nubmers of 20," he says. He promises all-out play for his new, hometown team. "They're getting somebody that's going to give 110 percent, that loves being there," he says. "I told people a long time ago, when I would watch and see the Blazers lose, it would hurt me more than some of the Blazers." http://www.theoutlookonline.com/sports/story.php?story_id=117217757460642000 --

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