"No idea what they're doing" - Larry Nance Jr. criticizes ESPN analysts for giving Herb Jones lowly 97th rank in Top 100 list
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones has been one of the many players who position in ESPN's top 100 list has been debated by fans. Among those to speak out in his favor is one of his former teammates.
Despite being regarded as one of the top versatile perimeter defenders in the league, Jones just barely made ESPN's rankings. He came in at No. 97, one spot ahead of longtime point guard Mike Conley. Some of the players ahead of Jones include Al Horford, Jalen Suggs, Keegan Murray and Brook Lopez.
After seeing Herb Jones ranked so low, Larry Nance Jr. took to social media to share his thoughts. He jabbed at the analysts at ESPN who made the list while calling for the Pelicans forward to be placed higher.
"These people have no idea what they’re doing #Justice4Herb"
Before departing for the Atlanta Hawks, Nance got to see Jones' talents up close. He spent the last three seasons with the Pelicans after being traded there during the 2022 campaign.
As for Jones, he is coming off the best season of his young career. He appeared in 76 games and averaged 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals. Jones also made big strides as a 3-point shooter, knocking down 41.8% of his attempts.
Along with his production increasing, Jones was named to the All-Defensive first team and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year.
Herb Jones to take on interesting role for New Orleans Pelicans this season
In his first three seasons, Herb Jones has served as a point-of-attack defender for the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he is reportedly taking on a new role in the 2024-25 campaign.
This offseason, the Pelicans added another perimeter threat by trading for Dejounte Murray. They also lost their starting center, Jonas Valanciunas, in free agency. The lack of frontcourt depth has coach Willie Green preparing to get outside the box with his starting lineup.
During a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN's Shams Charania touched on the Pelicans' potential lineup. He said that Herb Jones is essentially going to slot in at center for their opening unit.
"I'm told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center for the Pelicans," Shams said. "We're not talking about fives, we're talking about position-less."
We've seen numerous NBA teams experiment with small-ball lineups before, but the Pelicans might be pushing the limit. Jones is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward with a seven-foot wingspan. He might have the length, but defending other centers is going to pose its challenges.
Jones has shown he's capable of defending multiple positions, but guarding opposing bigs will be a totally new adventure. If he's able to hold his own in the frontcourt, he'll move front and center into the conversation of being the league's best and most versatile defender.