New Orleans rookie Herbert Jones is about to play in his 11th NBA “back-to-back” this season, but this one will be significantly different from all of his previous sets of two games in two nights. After New Orleans hosts Dallas at 7 p.m. Thursday (Bally Sports, 100.3 FM), Jones will catch a late flight to Cleveland, in order to be in Ohio for Friday’s NBA Rising Stars event. Jones was among 12 first-year pros invited to participate in the competition, which is featuring a brand-new, four-team tournament format in 2022.
Jones previously vowed to bring his competitiveness and defensive mentality to an event that’s not known for either of those.