There are huge hopes for playoff contention ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans. More than seeing Zion Williamson in hopefully more than 60 games and Brandon Ingram learning from his Team USA stint, CJ McCollum posits that there is one player who could be another productive presence for the team. Herb Jones has a significant defensive upside despite being in just his third year in the league, most of his Pelicans teammates believe that he can reach that ceiling.

CJ McCollum has been around the NBA long enough to know which type of defensive plays are game-altering. The Pelicans player outlined the key rarity in Herb Jones and what sets him apart from other amazing defenders in their team like Zion Williamson, via Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans Podcast.

“He's got good length, timing, he's athletic. He doesn't block the shot out of your hand; he lets the ball kind of leave your hand first and blocks it in the air, which is really difficult,” was the astounding observation that McCollum made.

The Pelicans veteran went on to further add how his teammate can possibly reach high levels of recognition this season, “He covers every part of the floor, takes charges, is active on the ball, off the ball. He's elite. He'll be All-Defensive team this year for sure.”

So far, Jones has been steadily climbing back into his true defensive form. He notched two blocks per game and is expected to also get nearly the same amount of steals in the season. Will he be able to reach these expectations under the leadership of Brandon Ingram en route to a playoff berth?