Tag: Herb Jones

Pelicans’ CJ McCollum sees future All-Defensive teams for Herb Jones

McCollum believes big things are in store for Jones after a tremendous rookie season with the Pelicans.

Herb Jones quietly performed at a high level for the New Orleans Pelicans and emerged as one of the top first-year players throughout the 2021-22 season.

However, his recent play in the playoffs hasn’t been so quiet.

Jones and the Pelicans were featured only a few times on national TV this season and flew relatively under the radar. The team would get some recognition here and there from pundits, but the group was far from a household name.

Now, on the biggest stage in the game, the Pelicans have arrived.

Led by Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, who was acquired at the trade deadline, the Pelicans overcame a 1-12 start to the season and earned the eighth seed in the play-in tournament. They now sit in a tied series against the Phoenix Suns, who had the best record in the league.

Jones, the 35th pick, has also contributed to the Pelicans’ success and is a big reason why the team finds itself with a chance to beat the best team from the regular season. He has made for himself on the defensive end and is viewed as one of the top perimeter players.

His play has impressed those around him, including McCollum.

It is incredible to see his attention to detail and his athleticism. I’ve never seen a guy this young, this sharp, this smart, this unbothered, this unfazed. He’s getting the toughest assignments every night. It don’t bother him. He comes in the same personality, same swagger. You know what you’re going to get with him. I think the really cool part is he can guard on the ball and off the ball. A lot of guys can’t do that, especially rookies.

Jones averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 78 games this season. His 130 total steals ranked third among all players in the NBA while his 243 total deflections were fourth. He was the only player to have at least 120 steals and 50 blocks.

In his latest effort, Jones had 13 points, three assists, three blocked shots, two rebounds and two steals in the Pelicans’ 118-103 win in Game 4 on Sunday. Perhaps most impressive about his performance was all three of his blocks were on 3-point attempts.

Jones received one third-place vote in the Rookie of the Year balloting released on Saturday but the 23-year-old is expected to be in the running for the All-Rookie first team. He could also pick up some votes for an All-Defensive team.

Rookie players earning All-Defensive honors is very rare. In fact, when Matisse Thybulle earned a second-team placement last season, he became only the 26th player ever in their first or second season to accomplish the feat.

Jones may not join Thybulle on that list this season but could do so next year now that his name is on the national radar. The future appears to be very bright in New Orleans as Jones has established himself as a franchise cornerstone.

“The sky is the limit for him,” McCollum said. “He is going to be very good, not only for us but for this league going forward. He’ll be first-team All-Defense as soon as they start watching Pelicans games.”

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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LOOK: Twitter reacts to Herb Jones’ impressive NBA Playoffs performance

Herb Jones is finally getting some national recognition!

Former Alabama guard [autotag]Herb Jones[/autotag] as selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that is not unfamiliar with Crimson Tide players.

The Pelicans also drafted Kira Lewis jr. a year before, and also picked up John Petty, who is currently on the Birmingham Squadron G-League team for the Pelicans.

In the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Pelicans and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns are in a battle right now. Following last night’s win for New Orleans, the series is all tied up a two apiece.

Jones was the star of the show. In 35 minutes of playing time, Jones went 3-for-7 from the field, made seven of eight free throws, had three assists, two rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Jones’ contribution to the offensive side of the ball was 13 points.

Though his stats from the game may not seem worthy of national praise, the rookie was electric on both ends of the floor. Fans from all over the nation took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

OKC Thunder news: Josh Giddey fails to finish top six in Rookie of the Year voting

Herb gets to be a top-six finisher? What a sick joke!

The NBA announced the Rookie of the Year winner along with the top-six finishers in voting on Saturday and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey was notably left off the list.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes ended up winning the award by 15 voting points. The top six went as followed:

  • Barnes at 378 points
  • Evan Mobley at 363 points
  • Cade Cunningham at 153 points
  • Jalen Green at three points
  • Franz Wagner at two points
  • Herb Jones at one point

The fact that Giddey didn’t make the list is pretty ridiculous. Even with him missing the final third of the season due to a hip injury, Giddey’s two-thirds of play were dominant enough that he warranted a top-six finish. Giddey won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month every month that he played in and four of the five times overall this season.

If it’s an availability issue as Giddey missed 28 games, it’s unfair to measure him against someone like Jones in terms of games played due to uneven minutes distributions. Despite playing 24 more games, Jones played just 68 total more minutes than Giddey this season

Giddey averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebound and 6.4 assists in 54 games this season. Giddey secured four triple doubles, which is tied for the seventh most amount for a rookie in league history.

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CJ McCollum: Pelicans’ rookies have shown ‘tremendous growth’

Led by Herb Jones, the Pelicans’ trio of rookies helped the team knock off the Suns and even their first-round series.

On Tuesday, the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans tied up their first-round series versus the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns thanks in large part to the efforts of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

Combined, they scored 60 points to lead the Pelicans to the 125-114 win.

Ingram had a game-high 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to finish just shy of his first career triple-double. McCollum added 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr. chipped in 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Of course, there was also the rookies’ production.

The team has relied on three first-year players this season, and each has come up with big-time plays and contributions to help the Pelicans reach this point of the postseason: A tied-up series versus the top seed going back to New Orleans for Game 3.

Herb Jones led the way with 14 points, three assists and one steal. Trey Murphy III had nine points and three steals off the bench while Jose Alvarado scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter to help keep the Pelicans ahead.

McCollum admired their commitment and growth this season.

They’ve just showed tremendous growth, not just from the two play-in games and the six games we used to close the season out but from when they were 1-12. That takes a courageous group led by a courageous coach who did what it took to get the best out of his players and then they went and put the work in so we could have success.

With Jose knocking down shots, with Herb locking up (on defense) and making his free throws, with Trey knocking down shots. We had a lot of guys who were in the G League finishing this game.

The three players have often been commended by their veteran teammates for the poise they display, and their ability to compete on a nightly basis. They have rarely been afraid of the moment and that has shown on the game’s biggest stage as of late.

There is no question the Pelicans are led by Ingram and McCollum, but the contributions of their rookies, and the rest of the roster, are a huge reason why they are currently tied up with the Suns.

Game 3 is scheduled to tip off on Friday at 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Suns’ Deandre Ayton reacts to shoulder hit from Pelicans’ Herb Jones

The officials determined the contact by Jones on Ayton was incidental and no further action was needed.

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton said he is fine after taking a shot to the face from Herb Jones on Sunday in a 110-99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of the playoffs.

The play unfolded with about three minutes left in the game after Jonas Valanciunas slammed in a dunk to cut the deficit to 13 points. Immediately following the play, Jones inadvertently ran into Ayton attempting to pick up Chris Paul on defense.

The replay showed that Jones’ left shoulder smashed right into Ayton’s face. Ayton was a bit dazed following the collision and the officials later reviewed the play to see if it reached the criteria for a flagrant foul. They determined the contact was incidental and no further action was needed.

Afterward, Ayton reacted to the shot by Jones.

I’m fine. If that’s how they want to start the series, then so be it. It’s a physical game, it’s the playoffs. Hits like that count. Regular season, you got 81 more after a game like that but we’re in the playoffs. It didn’t look like he did it intentionally — it’s part of the game — so I’m not really going crazy over no hit.

The reaction on social media to the hit mostly sided with Jones and the officials’ ruling that the contact was inadvertent. However, TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller thought it was a purposeful hit by Jones and believed the rookie could have avoided the collision.

Suns head coach Monty Williams also believed it was incidental.

I’ve got to look at the film. The coaches told me they didn’t think it was a malicious shot, but nonetheless, it was a physical game. … I’m not quite sure it was a malicious shot. I’ve got to look at the film to make sure but I didn’t see that.

Jones established himself as one of the top defenders in the league this season. He has often drawn praise from his peers for his ability on that end of the floor, including Suns guard Devin Booker. He hasn’t earned a reputation of being a reckless player and likely didn’t mean any harm.

Game 2 between the two teams is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA fans are furious at Reggie Miller for suggesting Herb Jones hit DeAndre Ayton on purpose

TNT broadcaster Reggie Miller owes New Orleans Pelicans rookie Herbert Jones an apology.

I hate when I watch sports and find myself thinking more about something dumb an announcer said than actually reflecting on the game itself.

But during the fourth quarter of the first game of the series between the Suns and the Pelicans, TNT broadcaster Reggie Miller said something colossally upsetting, and I’m afraid that I can’t let it go.

New Orleans rookie Herbert Jones was making his way back to defend Chris Paul, which was his primary defensive role on Sunday. He did a fantastic job at that, too, as the veteran guard scored nearly all his points when guarded by other players on the Pelicans.

While hurrying back to cover his assignment, Jones made inadvertent contact with Phoenix big Deandre Ayton. Jones’ shoulder hit Ayton in the jaw and the center was left feeling woozy.

Miller took a look at the replay and came away with an assessment: This was intentional. To his credit, Miller played the game at an elite level and perhaps he saw something others did not.

Here is what he said, courtesy of a replay from the TNT broadcast:

“This might have been on purpose. In fact, I think it was. Because there is no need for Jones to rotate over like that. Yeah, that’s on purpose.”

However, when the officials took a look, they did not reach the same conclusion about malicious intent. For what it’s worth, after the game, both Ayton himself and Phoenix head coach Monty Williams said they did not feel that the hit was intentional.

Monty McCutchen, the senior vice president of referee development and training, concluded that Jones attempted to maneuver his way to become the on-ball defender.

He determined Jones and Ayton didn’t see one another, there was no wind-up; then, once contact was made, the rookie then checked in to make sure Ayton was okay.

Miller wouldn’t it go, and continued to spew this reckless take:

“I don’t know, Monty. That’s not incidental contact because Herb Jones knew exactly where he was going and he knew that Ayton did not see him.”

I can’t say whether Jones intended to hit Ayton, but I know during the pre-draft process, the Alabama defensive standout was touted as someone with high character.

Jones doesn’t have a reputation as a violent player. He has collected just two technical fouls and only one flagrant foul during his NBA career thus far, though many felt the one flagrant Jones received last month was excessive.

Regardless, Miller seemingly went out of his way to say Jones was malicious. But as noted by CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, that sort of rhetoric from Miller could shape Jones’ reputation.

People know Miller, and by proxy, many trust him. Not as many know Jones, so when they hear a Hall-of-Famer like Miller suggest Jones is a dirty player, that is damaging and unfair. I’m not the only one who feels this way, as many NBA fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment in Miller’s actions.

Devin Booker names one uncommon trait about Pelicans’ Herb Jones

Jones emerged as one of the top-first year players this season and recently earned high praise from the Suns’ All-Star.

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Herb Jones has emerged as one of the top-first year players this season, and recently earned high praise from Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker.

Jones, in 78 games, averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals this season. He made a name for himself on the defensive end of the floor and has even garnered attention in the All-Defensive teams voting, which would be a rare feat for a rookie.

The 35th pick registered 130 total steals, 243 deflections and 60 blocked shots this season. He ranked third in steals and fourth in deflections among all players in the NBA. He was the only player to have at least 120 steals and 50 blocks.

Jones helped the Pelicans win two games in the play-in tournament to claim the eighth seed. They will face the Suns on Sunday and Booker revealed what impresses him most about Jones ahead of their series.

Just his instincts, the tangibles of it. The things you can’t teach, you can tell he has prioritized defense for a long time and watches people and studies people, which is uncommon for a rookie. Offensively, I think he doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves. He is playing confidently. He is not scared to take those shots. I think a lot of teams have shifted off him and dared him to shoot this year and he has been shooting it very well. He is a really good, young talent in this league.

The comments by Booker certainly echo what many around the league have said after watching Jones this season. Booker will have a firsthand look at Jones as the rookie will likely be matched up with him throughout their first-round series.

New Orleans recovered from a rough 1-12 start this season and is on an incredible run to reach this point. Certainly, they are not looking to quit now as Jones & Co. look to make some noise versus the top-seeded Suns.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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ESPN’s Zach Lowe reveals 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie teams

Lowe revealed his official ballot on Thursday with the three likely Rookie of the Year front-runners leading way for the first team.

With the 2021-22 regular season now wrapped up, several members of the media have started to reveal their official ballots for the end-of-season awards voting.

A panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters are responsible for casting ballots for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and several other categories. Included in the voting are the All-Rookie teams, which are voted on without consideration for positions.

Zach Lowe of ESPN, who is a voter, revealed his official ballot on Thursday with the three likely Rookie of the Year front-runners leading way in Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie first team

Player Team
Cade Cunningham Detroit Pistons
Evan Mobley Cleveland Cavaliers
Scottie Barnes Toronto Raptors
Franz Wagner Orlando Magic
Herb Jones New Orleans Pelicans

Currently, four of the five first-team players appear to be locked in on most ballots with Cunningham, Mobley, Barnes and Wagner. Lowe revealed the only decision to make came down to the fifth pick and it was between Jones and Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets.

He ultimately went with Jones with Green falling to the second team.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie second team

Player Team
Jalen Green Houston Rockets
Alperen Sengun Houston Rockets
Bones Hyland Denver Nuggets
Ayo Dosunmu Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey Oklahoma City Thunder

Lowe explained that Giddey would have made the first team but ultimately dropped to the second team due to the number of games he missed. He appeared in only 54 games and played in only one game after the All-Star break due to a hip injury.

Said Lowe:

The only drama on first team was the final spot, which came down to Jones and Green. Had Giddey played more games, that spot was his.

With such a good rookie class this year, there were plenty of candidates to choose from for the 10 spots across the two teams. Of course, there are going to be plenty of snubs from the All-Rookie teams and some solid players are going to be left off.

The voting for Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie teams will certainly be worth monitoring when the results are released by the NBA. The two categories look to be among the most competitive this year, which left voters with something serious to consider.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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‘That guy ain’t no rookie’: Pelicans react to Herb Jones’ play-in performance

With New Orleans’ season on the line, Jones produced one of his finest performances to help the Pelicans defeat the Spurs.

With New Orleans’ season on the line, rookie Herb Jones produced one of his finest performances to help the Pelicans defeat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in the play-in tournament.

Jones scored 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in the 113-103 victory at Smoothie King Center. He went an efficient 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, in 37 minutes of work.

Perhaps his best contribution was once again his defensive effort.

Dejounte Murray, the Spurs’ leading scorer this season, recorded 16 points in the loss but Jones and the Pelicans held him to 5-of-19 shooting from the field. Jones held Murray to 3-of-9 shooting and forced two turnovers as his primary defender, according to NBA tracking data.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green saw Jones rise to the occasion.

Herb was locked in. I could tell from the time we had our first meeting prepping for this team. I looked into his eyes and he just was ready. He was watching and studying. He is in the gym, doing two-a-days. He is doing everything he can to be prepared. He knew that was going to be a challenging matchup (against Murray) and he met it head-first. I’m proud of that kid. He works his tail off.

Said Jones:

I didn’t do anything outside of my normal routine. I took the same approach that I took for any game. I wouldn’t say it was a higher level. I try to stay as locked in as I can each night.

The defensive effort versus the Spurs further demonstrated how dominant Jones has been on that end of the floor this season. It was also a prime example of how the 35th pick is in the discussion for an All-Defensive team placement.

Jones averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 78 games this season. His 130 total steals ranked third among all players in the NBA while his 243 total deflections were fourth. He was the only player to have at least 120 steals and 50 blocks.

“He is a hell of a player,” said rookie Jose Alvarado, who finished with 12 points and three assists. “That guy ain’t no rookie. He should be first team (All-Defense). He definitely has my vote. He ain’t no rookie. He is a hell of a player all around.”

With the win, the No. 9 seed Pelicans (36-46) will advance to play the No. 7 seed Clippers (42-40) Friday in Los Angeles. The winner will secure the eighth seed in the Western Conference and the right to face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. EDT on TNT.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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2021 NBA draft class: Final rookie stat leaders for the 2021-22 season

Rookie Wire took a look back at which first-year players were among the leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and more.

With the 2021-22 regular season wrapped up, observers of the NBA can now take a look back at the year that was and evaluate how each player performed, including the rookie class.

The group played at a high level throughout the season with several individuals emerging as potential future All-Stars. As a result, the Rookie of the Year voting is expected to be highly competitive with as many as five players in the running to win.

Rookie Wire took a look back at how the class performed and which players were among the leaders in key statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding and assists.

Note: Stat leaders are according to NBA.com.