The New Orleans Pelicans are heading into training camp with a familiar question hanging over Herb Jones: can he stay on the floor and give them the two-way impact that makes their whole defense hum?
Jones has become one of the quiet engines of this roster. His value shows up in the kind of ways that can change a game without ever taking over the box score.
When he’s on the court, the Pelicans are better - by 6.5 points per 100 possessions this past season, according to CleaningTheGlass. That kind of swing is exactly why he matters so much to this team.
The problem, as New Orleans has learned over the past two seasons, is availability. Jones has played in essentially half the games over that stretch, and the Pelicans need a healthier version of him if they’re going to get where they want to go this year. He’s been a constant name in trade chatter as the team has struggled, but if the goal is winning now, moving him was never really on the table.
Jones is entering Year 6, and he’s still one of the league’s most respected defenders. In his last fully healthy season, 2023/2024, he made the All-Defensive First Team and finished as a top vote-getter for Defensive Player of the Year. At this point, his reputation on that end is beyond question.
What New Orleans is still waiting on is more consistency from his shot. Jones had a real stretch from deep in 2023/2024, when he knocked down 41.8% of his threes.
Over the last two seasons, though, that number has dipped and he hasn’t shot better than 30.9%. The Pelicans can live with some offensive unevenness because his defense is so disruptive, but if he can make more of those looks, he becomes even tougher to game-plan for.
The timing matters here, too. Jones is about to turn 28, and he already has a three-year extension in place that hasn’t kicked in yet.
That deal could keep him in New Orleans at least through the 2030/2031 season. Still, if this season starts badly and the Pelicans drift toward a rebuild, he could wind up among the first players moved.
That’s the worst-case scenario, though, and not the one New Orleans is planning for.
For now, the checklist is pretty clear. Stay healthy.
Carry that into camp with a clean slate. And if the jumper shows up early, the Pelicans could have one of their most important pieces ready to roll from the jump.
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Pelicans Could Face A Painful Reset If This Season Unravels
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Golden State would be one of the teams watching closely because the Warriors have a clear need for forwards and wings, and that kind of fit can turn a shaky market into a real trade lane. In that scenario, New Orleans could find itself weighing whether to keep trying to make the current group work or explore a reset that would put players such as Zion Williamson into the center of a broader rebuild conversation. [Read more 🡒]