NBA: Herb Jones Could Potentially Be The Steal Of The Draft
There are clear consensus favorites in the NBA Rookie Of The Year race. The names most mention, Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Scottie Barnes (Toronto), Franz Wagner (Orlando), Cade Cunningham (Detroit), and Josh Giddey (OKC), are all deemed as frontrunners for the award. It’s to be expected seeing as they were top-10 picks.
As is the case with the NBA, you’ll have some rookies pop up on the radar unexpectedly. Kendrick Nunn comes to mind. While some of the unheralded players go by the wayside near the season’s end, some excel and end up being deemed the steals of the draft. Herbert Jones is that player from the 2021 class.
New Orleans selected Trey Murphy (after a draft deal with Memphis) as their top pick in 2021. The thought was he’d be a defensive-minded wing with a developing 3-point shot. Little did New Orleans know, they found a player just as efficient (arguably better) in the 2nd rnd with Jones. Credit to GM, David Griffin, on this move. You can argue this has been the best draft pick of his tenure (sorry, Zion).
Jones was thought of as a fringe prospect. Playing at Alabama, most didn’t see him as a first-round pick. Many believed he’d not be drafted at all. He was lost in the shuffle with Jaden Shackleford (whom many deemed a better prospect), and Josh Primo (whom the Spurs took in the 1st rnd). As we sit with almost half the NBA season gone, 29 NBA GMs can’t be happy with themselves for passing on Jones.
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Jones was a 4-year player for the Crimson Tide. His college averages weren’t anything that screamed NBA star. He was viewed as an NBA prospect. However, I think most expected Shackleford and Primo to carry the Alabama flag in the draft. Jones carried a .288 3-pt percentage in Tuscaloosa. He wasn’t a dominant scorer (only averaging double-digit points in his senior season). At best, you could view Jones as a developmental player in the G-League.
The impact he’s had in the NBA has obviously not been expected. In fact, it’s been a revelation of sorts. Given New Orleans’s state of disarray(once again, thanks to Zion) this is one of the few bright spots this team has. Jones is shooting .387 from 3, his free throw percentage is almost .100 points higher than it was during his best collegiate season, and he’s shooting above .480.
When you compare Jones to other NBA rookies (Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Josh Giddey, Cade Cunningham), he’s still far away from being considered the ROY. At this point in the season, it’s unlikely he will crack the All-Rookie First Team. That means nothing to New Orleans, who, unlike other teams with high picks, didn’t really expect Jones to find his NBA game as quickly as he did (if at all).
Talking about long-term potential, sure the other rookies have a lot more going for them, Jones might actually become the focal point of the Pelicans team in a few years’ time. You can’t say that for anyone outside of maybe 3 or 4 guys in this draft. In addition, none of these players were 2nd round picks.
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You shouldn’t discredit Jones as a potential star in the NBA. His vast improvements in just one year for one. Then the transition from college to the NBA has been more of a revelation than that of the play of the other first-round guys (who were expected given they were taken much earlier). Jones was a 2nd rnd pick; one that nobody really saw coming. He’s been a pleasant surprise for NOLA. He has ROY potential(but he won’t be). However, this will still be a season that he gets noticed and makes his mark on the NBA.
Image Source: SCOTT THRELKELD
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
