Herb Jones Matters More to the Pelicans Than You Might Think

It's no secret the New Orleans Pelicans have been terrible the last two seasons. Now, they're retooling the organization and the roster while still trying to answer questions that should have been settled a while ago.

Are the Pelicans trying to win now or build for the future? Who are their franchise players? Which pieces actually fit together?

Then there is Herb Jones.

A culture staple, not a scapegoat

Jones represents almost everything Joe Dumars and Jamahl Mosley should want the Pelicans to become. He is selfless, works as hard as anyone, and competes defensively every night. Nothing in his basketball career was handed to him. He earned his way from second-round pick to starter, First-Team All-Defense, and one of the NBA's most respected defenders.

He became a fan favorite for one simple reason: Whether the Pelicans were good or bad, Herb made them better.

As we approach another NBA campaign, Jones' value is being questioned. Herb is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, has dealt with significant injuries, and his three-year, $68 million extension kicks in next year. Saddiq Bey and Bennedict Mathurin give New Orleans more options on the wing, while two losing seasons have put every long-term commitment under the microscope.

Those concerns are legitimate. Jones, who appeared in 56 games last season, averaged a career-low 8.9 points while shooting 38.3% from the floor and 30.9% from three. He must stay healthy, and his offense has to be better.

But the Pelicans shouldn't confuse the team's failures with Jones' limitations. Even during his worst offensive season, he remained one of the players most responsible for what little success New Orleans did have.

His impact has been consistent

On/off numbers are imperfect, but Jones' consistency across five seasons is difficult to dismiss.

Among Pelicans who played at least 500 minutes, Jones ranked third on the team in on/off differential as a rookie. He finished fourth in each of the next two seasons, first in 2024-25 and second last season.

He has never finished outside of the top four.

During the Pelicans' 21-win season in 2024-25, New Orleans was 10.5 points per 100 possessions better with Jones on the court. Last season, the difference was 4.6 points despite his offensive regression.

The improvement came primarily on defense. The Pelicans allowed 3.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Jones on the floor. Their offensive rating also improved slightly.

His shot wasn't falling, but the offense didn't collapse because Herb had gone cold. At the other end, no Pelicans perimeter defender came close to matching his impact.

The same pattern showed up in victories. Among Pelicans players who appeared in at least 20 wins last season, Jones produced a 12.6 net rating. Only Trey Murphy posted a better mark among the team's regular rotation players in that group.

The best combinations include Herb

The Pelicans' lineup numbers make an even stronger case.

Basketball Reference lists the team's 20 most-used two-, three- and four-man combinations. Across those categories, New Orleans produced only 16 groups with a positive scoring differential per 100 possessions.

Jones appeared in 12 of them.

Zion Williamson appeared in 10, Bey in nine, Murphy in seven, and Yves Missi in six.

Jones was part of two of the Pelicans' four positive two-man combos, including their best pairing: Jones and Williamson. He appeared in four of their five positive three-man groups, and six of the seven positive four-man units. He was also present in eight of their 10 best four-man combinations overall.

Lineup data is influenced by teammates, opponents, and game situations. It doesn't mean that Jones carried the Pelicans. But when the same player repeatedly appears in a team's best combinations, across different roles, and alongside different personnel, it becomes harder to dismiss his value.

Jones has consistently made other Pelicans easier to use.

Role and environment matter

Alex Caruso offers a reasonable comparison.

Caruso is a two-time champion and one of the NBA's great role players. He is also four years older than Jones, plays on a contract in a similar financial range, and will earn $19.6 million this season (more than Jones) after averaging only 6.2 points last year.

Nobody questions Caruso's value because Oklahoma City understands exactly what he is and puts him in position to succeed. He defends, creates turnovers, moves the ball, and makes winning plays without needing to score.

That same player spent three seasons in Chicago without winning a playoff series. Caruso wasn't less talented because the Bulls were mediocre. His impact was simply harder to appreciate because the team around him wasn't good enough to maximize it.

That same principle applies to Jones.

Caruso handles the ball better and has generally been the more dependable shooter, but neither player earns his money by scoring 20 points per game. Their value comes from filling the right role on a winning team.

The Pelicans have not always given Jones that opportunity. He shouldn't be forced to initiate the offense or manufacture shots late in the clock. He should defend, cut, run in transition, and find open space in the corners.

The 2023-24 season showed what that version of Jones can look like. He averaged a career-high 11 points, shot 41.8% from three (47.9% from the corner), and earned First-Team All-Defense honors. The Pelicans won 49 games, ranked 11th offensively and seventh defensively, and produced the NBA's sixth-best net rating.

Jones didn't suddenly become a marksman. He played the right role on a functional team. For example, during the 2023-24 season, nearly 53% of his three-point attempts were from the corner. Last season, that plummeted to 30.1%.

Jones was at his best when the Pelicans forced turnovers, played in transition, and generated the types of shots that he should be taking.

The new coaching staff and roster must recreate those conditions. Williamson has to attract multiple defenders. Murphy has to make shots. Dejounte Murray has to penetrate and find open teammates. Jones will have to convert his opportunities, but someone else has to create them.

This season is a crossroads

None of this means Jones gets a pass.

His injury history is a legitimate concern. His shooting must recover. Bey and Mathurin give New Orleans other options. If Jones can't stay healthy or become at least an average offensive player again, his long-term place on the roster will become harder to defend.

This may be his final opportunity to prove that he should remain in New Orleans for the duration of his contract.

Still, the Pelicans don't need Jones to become an offensive star. They need him to make open shots, move the ball, and avoid being miscast as a creator.

If he does that, his defense and lineup versatility will once again make him one of their most valuable players. If the Pelicans improve this season, Jones will almost certainly be part of the reason.

If they fail again, the primary responsibility will belong to the franchise players and the organization built around them, not the elite role player who has spent five seasons making almost every version of the Pelicans better.

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