A horn sounds during a stoppage in a New Orleans game. One of the opposing team’s top scorers breathes a brief sigh of relief, watching as Pelicans All-Defense candidate Herbert Jones trots to the sideline for some rest. As it turns out, a respite from “Not On Herb” time hasn’t been quite the break one might assume recently, because once Jones checks out, second-year forward Naji Marshall is ready to bring similar ferocity and intensity to the defensive end.
Moved into an every-night rotation spot after the All-Star break, the Xavier (Ohio) product helped New Orleans become a much stingier defense in the second half of 2021-22, ranking ninth in the NBA in efficiency.