Even though he’s just 24-years-old, New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones is proving his leadership abilities with his mentorship of Tulane Green Wave guard Jaylen Forbes.
Forbes is one of the best shooters in the 2023 NBA Draft, knocking down 38.2 percent of his 3-point attempts over the past three seasons while taking 6.9 3-pointers per game. A four-year prospect that started his collegiate career with the Alabama Crimson Tide — where Jones played for four seasons — before transferring to Tulane in 2020.
While the sharpshooter tells Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor that Golden State Warriors veteran Klay Thompson and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant as the players that he likes to watch the most, his relationship with Jones may be the most impactful.
“This past year, I decided how serious I was going to be on defense, so one thing I’d always do was watch Herb Jones defensive highlights,” Forbes says. “Just trying to catch on to the intangibles of how he gets so many deflections. It is insane!”
“I still talk to Herb just about every day now. I feel like that’s why my defense kind of improved the way it did.”
As Jones has arguably become a household name behind his suffocating perimeter defense, it’s not surprising that this is where Forbes has seen his greatest improvement when following his advice. Forbes, who’s tallied 30+ steals in each of the past three seasons, averaged a career-high 1.9 steals per game last season.
When the 2023 NBA Draft rolls around, it’ll be interesting to see how much impact the relationship that Forbes has with Jones will impact the Pelicans’ draft plans. A potential second-round pick, New Orleans — currently projected to have the No. 14 overall pick — could look to move back in the draft in order to make sure they grab the athletic 3-and-D wing.
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