Herb Jones went scoreless on Monday but provided strong defense and several hustle plays as the New Orleans Pelicans picked up a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, their first of the season.
Jones, who made his third straight start, finished with zero points but registered two rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot in 31 minutes of work. He recorded a key steal with just over three minutes left to help seal the 107-98 win.
The effort earned some praise from Pelicans head coach Willie Green.
Herb Jones is a basketball player. You can put him in any position on the floor. He knows all of the plays. He can execute at a high level, his defense is off the charts and he is just going to continue to grow into a really, really good basketball player for us in the future. I’m so proud of what he is doing but he puts the work in every single day he is in there working, along with the other guys.
Green previously opted to insert Jones into the starting lineup following the injury to Josh Hart. He has seemingly impressed the coaching staff and his teammates with the hustle and effort he brings to the court, in addition to his defense.
Straitjacket pic.twitter.com/QvfHVbO0wO
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) October 26, 2021
Jones, the 35th overall pick, entered the draft as one of the top defenders after he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season at Alabama. He has certainly flashed that ability early this season, something the team will be counting on moving forward.
He is the first second-round pick to start in a game this season, and it appears as though he will continue to see a large role given his ability on both sides of the ball.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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