Pelicans Herb Jones is a Tenacious Defender

Pelicans' rookie guard Herb Jones is a tenacious defender.

Pelicans' rookie guard Herb Jones is a tenacious defender and leads the NBA rookies in total steals, and steals per game.

Credit: © Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Jones, 23, was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 for the Crimson Tide. New Orleans saw value in the versatile forward and selected him with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. His defensive prowess is an essential ingredient in the Pelicans' recent resurgence.

As a rookie, Jones ranks No. 2 on aggregate impact.

Credit: BBall Index

ESPN's Chad Ford revealed the "Top Players under 25," and Jones made his list at, ironically, No. 35. The exact spot New Orleans drafted him.

Why did Ford place him at him there and here's my take: Jones' name isn't higher on the Rookie of the Year list with Evan Mobley or Cade Cunningham.

Jones can score as well as defend. He scored a career-high of 25 points against the Nuggets in early February.

Feb 27, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket past New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

NO LOVE FOR JONES?

1. Jones, 23, is an older rookie, and he's closer to the 25.
2. Second, his stats don't hit you and look meh with 9.5 ppg, 3.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 34% in 3 pointers.
3. Third, Jones' strength is as a defender. Typically, defensive guys won't generate much excitement and praise like the high scorers.

Jones is a real find for New Orleans. He's the only second-round player on this list, switchable on the wing, and can defend multiple positions without being a liability on offense.

If the Pelicans make the play-in tournament, Jones' contributions will be a reason.

However, his role on this team does not require him to be a prolific scorer like CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. Herb Jones' job is to do what he does as well as anyone in the league— guard the opposition's best offensive wing player. His dominance on defense has directly led to the success of the Pelicans.

The national media has not given him the proper recognition just yet, but Pelicans fans realize what they have in Jones.