A training camp preview for New Orleans Pelicans guard Herb Jones.
The New Orleans Pelicans kick off training camp in just a couple of weeks, which means it is time to start preparations for the season. As the roster comes into shape, it's important to take stock of where everyone is heading into camp.
Herb Jones has quietly been the X-factor for this team in recent years. His defense completely transforms this lineup; they just need him to stay on the court. His offense has been inconsistent, but it hasn't really mattered up to this point. With camp coming up, though, it's a chance to potentially get off to a hot start.
Here is a preview ahead camp for Jones this season:
State Of His Career
Jones is entering Year 6 of his NBA career. He is beloved by fans of the Pelicans and anyone who likes watching defensive basketball. During his last full healthy season (2023/2024) he finished on the All-Defensive First Team and was a top vote-getter for Defensive Player of the year.
There has never been a season where the on/off stats didn't show a drastic improvement when Jones plays. This past year, they were 6.5 points better per 100 possessions (per CleaningTheGlass).
The problem is how often he has been on the court. He has appeared in essentially half the games over the past two seasons. They need him to stay active this year if they want to turn things around.
Jones has been someone who has consistently been brought up in trade rumors as the team has struggled, but there was no chance they would move him if they wanted to win this year.
About to turn 28, Jones has a three-year extension that hasn't even kicked in yet. He could be in New Orleans at least through the 2030/2031 season. If things start bad again this year, though, he could be one of the first to go in a rebuild, but that is the worst-case scenario.
Goal For Training Camp
First goal is to obviously stay healthy. If he can go into the year with a clean slate, then hopefully he can continue into the year success.
The other goal, is to get off to a hot start with his three-point shot. He shot 41.8% from three back in 2023/2024, and that made him incredibly valuable. Over the past two years, he's failed to shoot over 30.9%. The defense more than makes up for inconsistency and he is still attempting them, which helps, but making them would help more.
