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JY Bond has a strong message for those NRL pretenders who think they can make it in the US.

They should prepare themselves for a brief conversation that finishes with a cardboard box. Not a big one, either. Just enough space for your cleats, toiletries, maybe a training sweatshirt if you can pinch one. But more than that? “Pal, go line up outside our NFL Team Store with all the other supporters.”

Because, once again, that’s exactly where you live.

“And to describe the feeling? It’s shithouse,” Jy Bond deadpans. “You’re standing inside the locker room, your box tucked under one arm just like in the movies, thinking ‘f…, what am I doing here?’ And I don’t just mean with your football. Suddenly you’re questioning where the next dollar will come from. Where you’ll go that night. You don’t even have a home anymore, but too bad . . . pack your shit and go.”

And for the past three years, this is exactly what Bond has done. This towering, thickset Melburnian – the son of 1970s Richmond star Graeme Bond, no less – quietly humping his swag around the US in a blur of playbooks, punts and promises. A journey of full NFL rosters and empty cardboard boxes.

There are four, maybe five, punters who live within a bee’s appendage of an NFL contract. Jy Bond is one of them.

Twice he has signed NFL contracts. Twice receiving a box before the season even began.

Yet still he persists.

This anonymous 32-year-old toiler, an Australian underdog story right down to the VB bottle opener on his keyring, kicks away knowing he’s only one eye-catching performance from that world where contemporaries drive BMWs, own Florida beach homes and, in the case of the Oakland Raiders’ Shane Lechler, earn $3 million a year.

There are so many NBA players with big, white smiles that it is hard to choose the top five. Still, I have compiled a list of the top five NBA players with the largest smiles with No. 1 winning the countdown.

#5 Marvin Williams

At No. 5 is Marvin Williams, who is a small forward for the Atlanta Hawks. In addition to having the greatest smile on the team, Williams is currently an individual stat leader for having the most points and steals.

#4 Dominique Jones

Coming in at No. 4 is Dominique Jones, a guard for the Dallas Mavericks, who has an ivory smile from cheek to cheek that stands out above others.

Jones was just tweeting about their game tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder team. He said, “Gameday. Time to go to work.”

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Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones will push for minutes at both guard spots, but it’s crowded and there’s no guarantees for either. Both young players have had encouraging training camps. Beaubois is coming off a second foot surgery in the summer and appears to be as close to full strength as he’s been since the end of the 2009-10 season.

Jones is working hard to develop a jump shot and has been impressive driving and getting to the free throw line, showing more advanced skills at point guard the Beaubois. With the compacted scheduled, both could see playing time at any time, or none at all.

“He’s got to be ready. I don’t know what his minutes will be like; I don’t even know if he’ll play Sunday, but he’s got to be ready to play Sunday because we may well need him,” Carlisle said of Jones. “He knows the system, he knows how he fits into it and we’ve continued to reiterate to him the importance of being ready. Same thing with Beaubois, same thing with [Ian] Mahinmi, [Brandan] Wright, all our young guys.”

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By Dwain Pricedprice@star-telegram.com

DALLAS — If Dominique Jones becomes a permanent fixture in the Dallas Mavericks’ rotation this season, he can thank his performance in the two preseason games against Oklahoma City for making that happen.

In Sunday’s opener against the Thunder, Jones contributed a team-high tying 17 points, a game-high seven assists and a team-high tying three steals. He also was 4 of 9 from the field while playing 28 minutes off the bench.

In Tuesday’s preseason finale against the Thunder, Jones was in the starting backcourt alongside Jason Kidd and wound up playing 27 minutes. And although Jones finished with just seven points (1 of 6 field goals), four assists, four rebounds and five turnovers, coach Rick Carlisle was relatively pleased with what he saw from the second-year guard from South Florida.

“I liked the beginning of the game,” Carlisle said. “He had a great game (Sunday), so I guarantee you they watched three or four minutes of film on him and [Roddy] Beaubois.

“This is the reality of the NBA. If you have a good game, two nights later they’re into your stuff and they’re making it hard on you.”

And it was hard on Jones on Tuesday as the Thunder paid extra attention to his whereabouts.

“I think it was all right,” Jones said of his performance. “I made some mistakes out there, but it’s good just getting a feel for everything.”Especially when you haven’t played in an NBA game in a whole year.”

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Depending on which free agents the Mavericks decide to keep, Dominique Jones could be a key player in the rotation this season.

But the second-year combo guard didn’t get to sharpen his skills over the off-season, because summer league games were canceled due to the lockout.

“Of course it would have been good to play in the summer league games and this and that, but it didn’t happen,” Jones said. “I think it was an opportunity to get better, get more shots up and just do more things and continue learning.”

Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t believe the long off-season means players will come to training camp today terribly out of shape.

“From reading what the guys have been doing, everybody’s in decent shape,” he said. “Some of our guys played some games [overseas].

“So I think we’ll be OK. Everybody will be in shape pretty quick.”

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DALLAS _ Dominique Jones isn’t sure what the offseason acquisition of Rudy Fernandez means as far as his playing time is concerned this season.

The 25th pick of the first round of the NBA Draft last season, Jones averaged just 2,3 points and only 7.5 minutes while playing in 18 games last year. It was a season cut short by injuries and ineffectiveness that had Jones spending some time with the D-League’s Texas Legends.

Jones was looking for a fresh start this year. But the Mavs acquired Fernandez in a trade with Portland this past June 23, meaning that’s another player Jones will have to compete with for playing time at the shooting guard position.

“I don’t know where that puts me,’’ Jones said. “I feel like everybody has to come work out, everybody has to come play and go against each other, and I guess the best match will be the lineup.

“No matter where you’re at, what team, you’re always going to have guys competing for your job. That’s what the game is about. You’ve just got to get it in your head, be mentally ready and just be ready to compete.’’

With point guard Jason Kidd turning 39 in March — and the status of free agent guards JJ Barea and DeShawn Stevenson still in limbo — this has the makings of being a breakout season for Jones.

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Dominique Jones - Deep, veteran teams almost inevitably marginalize some young player on the roster or another, and Jones was the unfortunate victim of a team with a glut of talent on the wing. His second year doesn’t seem likely to be a showcase either, as Dallas will retain all of the big-minute players from the team’s playoff run, and try to find room for Beaubois and Rudy Fernandez in the mix. That said, Jones is a physical guard with some interesting skills. He’s a committed defender, albeit one still learning how to function within the context of a proper pro system. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot, but he’s able to finish with contact and has interesting drive-and-kick potential. Jones might be a tough sell without much NBA experience, but he does have long-term potential.

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DALLAS – They’re breaking up that ol’ Dallas Mavericks gang of ours.

DallasBasketball.com and FOXSports has learned exclusively that Mavericks guard Dominique Jones is planning to follow up on his rookie (and championship) season by considering a trio of offers to leave the United States and play professionally overseas.

Previously, Jones told us, “I turned down two offers to play overseas in Jerusalem and in Germany. No thanks. I’m fine with money. Since I was 5 years old, playing in the NBA was my dream.”

But the “dream” is now a nightmare. With the NBA labor dispute possibly set to ruin the entire season, an assortment of Mavs, including superstar Dirk Nowitzki and NBA Finals hero J.J. Barea, might end up joining Jones in considering a move.

….

That’s Nowitzki, Jones and Barea possibly making the move that Fernandez and Ian Mahinmi (of France) have already made. Roddy Beaubois has a similar option in France as soon as his foot is healed. A full fifth of the Mavericks’ championship roster may soon find itself temporarily un-tethered to Dallas.

“I can’t imagine us not having an NBA season,” Jones told us in late August. “It means so much to so many people. So many people love it.”

Nowitzki, Barea, Jones and others may be about to find some love somewhere outside the NBA.

Read more HERE