DALLAS -- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said they ranked Dominique Jones as a top-three shooting guard in the draft and had him higher on their draft board than Big 12 scorer leader James Anderson, who was selected 20th by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavs tried to move into the middle of the first round to get Jones, but unwilling to give up a 2011 first-round draft pick, the Mavs felt fortunate that Jones slipped to No. 25 where Memphis could make the selection on behalf of Dallas for a cost of $3 million.

Jones was mostly rated as a late first-round to early second-round selection by media analysts, and Carlisle acknowledged that the Mavs valued Jones more than other teams and "had him rated higher than a lot of people did."

Jones, who plans to wear No. 20, was flattered that the Mavs would spend $3 million to get into the first round to acquire him, but he believes he'll pay off. Asked how he would compare himself to Oklahoma State's Anderson, Jones said: "I think I was better. But, like I said, success isn't in the beginning. Nobody has reached success; no John Wall. Nobody has reached success. Success is in the end. This is just the beginning for everybody in the draft and I'm very comfortable with my situation and my team and I'm just ready to go."

Jones said he sees himself as cross between Miami star Dwyane Wade and Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey: "Just getting in the lane, strong body, getting contact, and-1s. And, I feel like the D-Wade style, which is transition, getting out in transition, one-on-one transition, you know, basically being unguardable."