Pelicans' Herb Jones Will See Massive Benefit From the Jamahl Mosley Hire

The New Orleans Pelicans' Jamahl Mosley hire on Monday ushers in a new chapter in Pelicans basketball. New Orleans finally has its lead guy after much speculation on which route the organization would take after the dismissal of Willie Green in early November.

While many don’t consider Mosley a home run hire for the Pelicans, the internal brass feels his coaching style embodies what the team wants to be moving forward.

Per the statement released on Tuesday by the Pelicans’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, it's clear that the organization thinks highly of Mosley as a person and coach.

Part of the statement reads, “His teams reflect his coaching style through their defensive intensity, effort, preparation, and commitment to playing the right way. Those qualities reinforce the long-term stability of a winning culture.” The Pelicans should see net positive benefits defensively with Mosley’s arrival, which should be great news for one of their best defenders on the team, Herb Jones.

Leadership 🫡
Professionalism 💼
Relationships 🤝 pic.twitter.com/nPfx7AJ7aw
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 19, 2026

Jamahl Mosley Could Unlock Herb Jones Next Season

Jones is considered an elite perimeter defender in the league who uses his length and instincts to cause havoc to opposing offenses. New Orleans hoped he would blossom into a consistent three-and-D player, but injuries and inconsistent shooting in the last couple of seasons have hindered his potential to reach those heights.

During the 2023-2024 season, the former Alabama standout was highly effective on both ends of the court, shooting a career-best 40% from beyond the arc and earning All-Defensive first team honors for his lockdown defense. Jones played 76 games that season, proving to be a reliable staple on a nightly basis.

Injuries were the story for Jones over the next two years, as he played a total of 76 games over that span, and his accuracy sank to 30% from three. Green’s firing early in the season handed the reins to interim head coach James Borrego, an offensive-minded coach, but Jones continued to struggle to score and shoot. He played the fewest minutes per game of his career last season.

There were rumors that the former second-round pick was on the trade block before last year’s deadline, but the Pelicans did not move on from the defensive standout. Mosley’s defensive-minded approach will value Jones’ hard work and talents on that end, much like he did with Jalen Suggs when he coached the Orlando Magic.

Suggs was a high lottery pick by the Magic in 2021, the same draft as Jones, but there were major concerns about his outside shot. Suggs hasn’t dramatically improved in that area, but his defense fuels his offense by getting steals and running in transition.

This past season, 16% of Orlando’s scoring came in transition after an opponent turnover, which is a higher percentage than three of the four teams currently playing in the Conference Finals. Having the ability to score after creating turnovers could make Jones immediately more effective on offense under Mosley.

Even if Jones doesn’t score, he has shown himself to be a capable passer who can fuel a fastbreak by making the right play. An even greater potential as a passer could mimic Suggs’ success passing the ball this past season. The former No. 5 overall pick set a career-high with 5.5 assists this past year after posting career highs in steals with 1.8.

All-Defense First Teamer Herb Jones with the steal pic.twitter.com/kup3QnmwwX
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2024

Mosley’s hard defensive approach should help to push others, other than Jones, to play harder on that end night in and night out. That should help New Orleans build a stronger team-wide identity around Jones without overreliance on him as the ultimate defensive stopper.

A big reason Jones is underrated is that the Pelicans have been so porous defensively as a whole. By bringing in a coach who views basketball through a gritty, defense-first lens, New Orleans has given its best defender a firmer foundation with the team.

Under Mosley, Herb Jones won't just be an underrated defensive star to NBA diehards; he has the framework to become a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

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