The New Orleans Pelicans are fighting battles on multiple fronts. Most historians would advise against such a move, but the franchise just might be able to pull off a few wins worth the effort. First, Willie Green's group is on pace for a 50-win season. His Coach of the Year odds are improving with every win. However, the team is going with a full-on media campaign for Herb Jones to finally receive NBA First-Team All-Defense honors.
The Pelicans trolling Jimmy Butler and Stephen A. Smith was a great representation of the city's “stay petty ain't gotta get petty” attitude. Antonio Daniels even uses the phrase on the team's broadcast. The most recent video by the Emmy Award-winning content creators was a great injection of hype into the Jones campaign. The team's profile pics were all aligned to push the Jones agenda. The accompanying Not on Herb video was as educational for the uninformed viewer as it was entertaining for the Smoothie King Center faithful.
Start spreading the news: Herb Jones for First-Team All-Defense.
🔒 » https://t.co/FJ2cglJK0o pic.twitter.com/Fe2P3bENR8
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 25, 2024
Trey Murphy III is getting personally involved in the campaign. He slyly smiled, holding in a piece of sarcasm perhaps, when asked if he'd seen the social media team's newest production.
“Have I seen it? I posted (the Jones video) on my stories so yeah, definitely,” Murphy replied. “It was pretty cool and he deserves it. He is not the type of person to show off too much but I really think he deserves it, especially since he hit the 65 games (played) mark. I really hope he is able to get that.”
Pelicans need Not on Herb narrative to go national
As for Trey Murphy III's thoughts on the video helping get the Not on Herb narrative to national media voters who have yet to watch Jones in person, he was not paying attention to those conversations. There are still games to win after all. Still, is hopeful more voters take notice.
“I hope so, I really hope so. I try to stay off Twitter sometimes. I don't pay too much attention to what other people are saying but I would like to think so,” Murphy explained.
It is hard to be an NBA voter and not notice what Herb Jones has done both this season and since entering the league. He got Willie Green's respect immediately, to the point of winning a starting spot as a fresh-faced second-round rookie. Jones is 15th in total steals (84) and fifth in contested 3-pointers (223) while still shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range.
Jones was outstanding during the most recent four-game road trip. The Pelicans went 3-1 and Jones averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. He averaged over 38% on 3-point attempts despite finally getting attention from opposing defenses. Jones has an infectious work ethic that is rubbing off on the rest of the locker room and it shows. Murphy III was to the point at the end of the after-practice press scrum.
“Keep the same mentality all the way through the end of the season, that's really it,” Murphy declared. “That's how we got here and that's how we are going to stay here.”
Well, that and Herb Jones leading the way with First-Team All-Defense caliber play.
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