At this exceptionally early stage of the regular season, Herbert Jones ranks 10th in total minutes (61) among all NBA rookies and – by a fairly wide margin – has earned the biggest role of any 2021 second-round pick, starting two games for New Orleans. Yet perhaps the best way to measure his impact comes from examining the plus-minus statistic, where the small-sample-size numbers jump off the page. The Pelicans have outscored their opponent by 30 points with Jones on the court, leading the team in that category. No other New Orleans player is on the positive side of the ledger, after one-sided losses to Philadelphia and Chicago, followed by a much more competitive defeat at Minnesota.
Pelicans shootaround update: Herbert Jones ‘unbelievable energy’ gives New Orleans a boost
