Four different New Orleans players have made an NBA All-Star appearance since 2018, but apparently what the Pelicans needed to get national writers, broadcasters and podcasters to finally start paying close attention to the franchise was a defensive-minded, second-round draft pick who averaged 7.3 points per game in college.
It’s unclear exactly when rookie Herbert Jones became the darling of credentialed members of the media, but the 23-year-old wing began stealing the hearts of blue checkmarks not long after joining Willie Green’s starting lineup in his second pro game. Maybe it was his lockdown defense against some of the league’s top scorers.