The New Orleans Pelicans' season did not go as planned, but it was an interesting year for almost all of the players (for better or worse). There were some surprises, some let-downs and a whole lot of information to unpack before building next year's team.
To better understand the team as a whole, it's important to break everything down to the individual level. Here's a look at what went well, what went wrong and an overall grade for Pelicans star forward Herbert Jones' 2026 campaign:
What Went Well
Whenever Jones was on the court this season, good things were typically happening for New Orleans. The Pelicans had a +6.5 net rating when he was on the court, with both the offense and defense getting better.
Everyone knows how impactful Jones is on defense. He brings so much effort to pair with his great defensive mind, and he can completely take games over on that side of the court. Though he doesn't get the respect he deserves from the NBA for All-Defensive teams, anyone who has watched Jones play knows how important he is.
There was that stretch from January towards the end of March when Jones came back from injury and the team turned a corner. They went 15-10 in that stretch of games before the season fell apart.
What Went Wrong
Jones has his moments as a scorer, but he was one of the least efficient wings in the country this past season. He was in the ninth percentile for points per shot attempt, falling right behind Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham.
When the threes are going in, Jones becomes even more valuable. There are some times, though, where the shots are falling and the volume remains. It's still crucial to keep shooting to provide at least some spacing, and all of the things that Jones does outweigh any offensive deficiencies he might have.
Overall Grade - B
While Jones was great to watch when he was on the court, a couple of lingering injury issues this season are a little bit of a worry after playing in just 20 games the season before. Jones isn't someone worth tagging as injury-prone yet, but those 26 games he missed this season were really impactful.
This was a solid season from the Alabama native, but mostly more of the same.
What's Next?
There will be many teams calling Joe Dumars to try and get him to trade them, Jones. While they got a look at what this roster looks like without Jones, and it wasn't good, he does seem like someone they could end up trading this offseason for more draft capital. Not saying that it would be a smart move, but it's something that will be on the table for the front office.
If they do want to win with this current Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy core, then they might as well keep around the other defensive ace that has been proven to be an important part of any winning that group wants to do together.