Not much has gone right for the New Orleans Pelicans this season.
Star Zion Williamson is out with no timetable for his return. Brandon Ingram has also missed several games with injury and the Pelicans have the worst record in the NBA.
This isn’t the worst start in team history but it’s getting close, so there hasn’t been much for beleaguered Pels’ fans to cheer about.
There have been a couple of bright spots amidst all of the losing. The Pels are at least playing hard and seem to have bought in to Willie Green’s coaching philosophy, which is the first step in changing the culture of the franchise.
New center Jonas Valanciunas has been amazing, though the Pels are going to kill him with minutes if they are not careful.
And rookie Herbert Jones has been the best 2nd-round pick in the NBA, and national media is starting to notice.
New Orleans Pelicans: Herb Jones grabs spot on Kia Rookie Ladder
The Kia Rookie Ladder is ESPN’s weekly ranking of rookies in the NBA, and this week Herb Jones came 10th on the list.
This is impressive for a couple of reasons. The first is that Herb Jones doesn’t score, and most of these types of lists just look at scoring numbers. Jones impacts the game without scoring by playing lockdown defense at any position and making good reads when he does get the ball.
He has some similarities to Draymond Green in the way he can influence games without shooting much.
The other reason this is impressive is that Jones is the only 2nd-round pick who made the list, and it actually the only player on the Kia Rookie Ladder who was not a lottery selection.
This is how the New Orleans Pelicans will eventually turn things around, as they already have the high-end stars (theoretically) and just need to surround them with guys who can defend their position and shoot the 3-point shot.
Herb Jones may not have the long-range shooting yet, but he is probably the best rookie defender in his class and a guy who will fit well with the stars when they finally return.
I’ve not always been a big fan of the Pels’ front office, but you have to give them credit for finding a steal in Herbert Jones.