One of the trending topics of the New Orleans Pelicans' offseason is Herb Jones and his future with the organization. Last summer, it was sunshine and rainbows for both the Pelicans and Jones. Joe Dumars came in and extended Jones for another three seasons at around $22.5 million annually, and things immediately went downhill from there with Jones having the worst season of his career.
Now, with New Orleans looking to create flexibility, maybe open up a roster spot and avoid having Jones on the roster when that extension kicks in, many believe he could be traded.
The issue with trading Jones is that he could bounce back, but, more importantly, he would leave a huge void on the roster defensively. Sure, all parts of his game did take a step back last season; however, it would be ridiculous of me to say he isn’t still a good defender and arguably this team's best. So if Jones is dealt, the Pelicans should use the No. 58 pick to find his long-term replacement in Duke big/wing Maliq Brown, who was one of college basketball's best defenders last season.
Maliq Brown could be Herb Jones' long-term replacement
His stats won’t jump off the page as in his senior year at Duke, Brown averaged 4.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, while shooting 62.9 percent from the field. These aren’t eye-catching or overly exciting, but the tape shows you just how impactful Brown was for Duke last season. A major reason Cam Boozer’s defense looked strong and his rebounding numbers were as high as they were, was that Brown closed out possessions and was someone Booz could lean on.
Obviously, not hating on Boozer at all, he is my No. 1 prospect in this class. I’m just saying you could see how helpful it was for a star to be paired with Brown in the frontcourt.
What makes Herb Jones such a special defender when he’s at his best is that he can truly guard every position and archetype. Whether it’s shifty guards, seven-footers, or an elite wing, the Pelicans are comfortable with Jones knowing he can get stops on any of those players. Brown is similar in that way. I’m not going to lie and say he is the purest form of a one-through-five defender, but he projects to get there with some time in the NBA.
Right now, Brown has the strength, skills, and length to guard wings and bigs at the NBA level, as he was rarely overpowered or beaten in college by players of those positions. While his footspeed can limit him against the fast, shifty guard type, with time, he’ll learn how to use his length and size to manipulate those matchups. I like Brown a lot as a prospect because he brings that mental and physical edge to the game that we still see play a huge role in postseason success.
For a guy like Joe Dumars, who keeps preaching defense-first and toughness, Brown could be a great fit with or without Jones on the roster.
If Brown does make it to No. 58, New Orleans has to draft him, as it's rare to find a player in that range ready to impact the game from day one like he is. It’s even more rare to find someone who can develop into an elite defender and make someone like Herb Jones more expendable than he already is.
