1. Herbert Jones, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Herbert Jones’ game has not stood out amongst his peers in his draft class. Jones has had a great showing for the New Orleans Pelicans during the early part of the season. His ability to play efficiently on both ends has allowed him to become a fan favorite in the city.
Considering the Pelicans have been an average team all season, Jones hasn’t gotten his respect for displaying a great rookie season.
Offensively, Jones is very gifted at attacking in transition and going for strong finishes. He is averaging 8.2 points on 47 percent shooting, which is due to taking high percentage shots. But Jones’ impact is made on the defensive end. Having a wingspan of seven feet, he can make things uncomfortable for the offensive player by deflecting passes and being able to recover off screens.
Jones’ defense shows in the stat sheet as he averages one block and 1.3 steals. With the way Jones brings maximum effort on both ends, he shows all-star potential in the next coming years.