2021 NBA Draft

Jim Eichenhofer

A second straight NBA draft has brought a University of Alabama player to New Orleans, one aspect of a growing connection between the Pelicans and that state, which is now also home to the franchise’s G League team in Birmingham. We caught up with writer Mike Rodak, who covers Alabama football and basketball for AL.com and The Birmingham News, to learn more about second-round pick Herbert Jones, who received multiple honors in the SEC last season on the circuit's best team.

Rodak explains why Alabama residents’ rooting interests are continue to learn toward the Pelicans, as well as how Jones’ previous sports background might make it less of a surprise that he’s excelled at the defensive end of the floor:

Pelicans.com: What was the general reaction in Alabama to Jones being picked No. 35 overall on Thursday, not only from the standpoint of where he was drafted, but also that he’s coming to relatively nearby New Orleans?

Rodak: I think it was around the spot in the draft where most expected Jones to be picked, although coach Nate Oats made the case afterward that he thought Jones should have been a first-round pick. Oats specifically said there were players picked in the 10-15 slots ahead of Jones that he thought were not as good as him. There were seven SEC players taken ahead of Jones, the SEC player of the year, and it is safe to assume some of those players were in that category for Oats. As for New Orleans, my first thought when he was drafted is that it’s an ideal situation for his family, which is from a small town in West Alabama. They’ve always been able to watch him play and he is still a drive down I-59 away.

Pelicans.com: Fellow Alabama player Kira Lewis Jr. obviously made his NBA debut with the Pelicans last season. Is there a growing group of fans in that area now starting to follow New Orleans much more closely?

Rodak: I think the additions of Lewis and Jones will help interest, although the biggest factor might be the Pelicans’ new G-League team in Birmingham, the Squadron. In my few years living in Birmingham, I don’t know if I have sensed a dominant NBA team – the Hawks, Pelicans and Grizzlies are all available on TV – but having the Squadron here could help push things toward the Pelicans.

Pelicans.com: What’s been behind the recent surge in Alabama players who are becoming pros? The Crimson Tide also had a lottery pick (Josh Primo to San Antonio) this year.

Rodak: There are a few factors at play here. First, Alabama was successful in recruiting under former coach Avery Johnson, bringing in some highly-rated players such as Collin Sexton, John Petty, Lewis and Jones. Second, Nate Oats’ NBA style of play has done well in developing those players (outside of Sexton, who was already in the NBA) into better pro prospects. Third, the success of Oats’ team last season – winning the SEC and making the Sweet 16 – helped elevate his players. Oats said part of the reason Primo, the star of Oats’ recruiting class last year, was picked by the Spurs was because he was part of a winning team last season.

Pelicans.com: As a junior, Jones played through a broken wrist for part of the season, a testament to his fortitude. New Orleans front-office members have stated recently that toughness is a necessity to add to the roster in 2021-22. How important was that attribute to Jones’ success as a player? He was named SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Rodak: At Buffalo and now Alabama, Oats’ staff has tracked “blue collar points” during games for taking charges, diving for loose balls, etc. that normally would not show up on the stat sheet. The winner each game gets a hard hat in the locker room to wear. Jones overwhelmingly led the team in blue collar points the past few seasons and it usually went without saying that he would win the hard hat. So, yes, toughness was the cornerstone of Jones’ tenure at Alabama. He will always be remembered for making critical free throws with his off hand during a game against LSU when his shooting wrist was in a cast. He dealt with a slew of other injuries, too, including a nagging lower back injury and dislocated finger last season, and an elbow injury as a junior. There was a point last season where Jones was so banged up we were asking Oats if it made more sense to sit Jones, but he kept playing through it.

Pelicans.com: Oats said recently that Jones was already good enough to play rotation minutes for an NBA playoff team this past season. How prepared might Jones be for this level as a rookie, based on his extensive college experience?

Rodak: Jones has always been praised for his maturity and basketball intelligence, and I think those qualities will go a long way to him getting on the floor as a rookie. There were never any questions about his work ethic or effort at Alabama, and if he can translate that into some success as a lock-down defender off the bench in the NBA, he should be valuable even early in his career.

Pelicans.com: What are the most underrated aspects of Jones’ game?

Rodak: A lot has and will be made of Jones’ shooting, and he ended his final season at Alabama on a particularly sour note by missing his final 20 three-point attempts as well as four key free throws in the closing minutes of an NCAA tournament loss to UCLA. But over the entirety of his senior season, he made some strides as a scorer that should not go unnoticed. He came out of the gate strong, reaching double digits in points in 13 of the first 17 games while showing some effectiveness as a three-point shooter.

Pelicans.com: What areas do you think he has the most room to make strides, or aspects of his game he may need to improve or adjust as he transitions to NBA competition?

Rodak: It will still be his shooting. That was the reason why he dropped into the second round and ultimately he will need to be at least an adequate shooter to see significant minutes in the NBA.

Pelicans.com: What’s one thing even diehard Alabama basketball fans might not know about Jones?

Rodak: I actually did not know this until Jones did several pre-draft interviews, but he actually played football growing up and had aspirations to be a defensive back. He credits that defensive mindset with shaping his mentality in basketball. Of course, should I really be surprised that a kid in Alabama grew up playing football?

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Herbert Jones Q and A with Mike Rodak

To gain more insight into one of the newest members of the New Orleans Pelicans – No. 17 overall NBA draft pick Trey Murphy III, a forward from the University of Virginia – we caught up with Jeff White, a writer for the school’s VirginiaSports.com. White, who writes extensively about Cavaliers sports, including basketball, provided Pelicans.com with additional background about Murphy’s career and productive season in Charlottesville.

The 21-year-old Murphy spent the first two seasons of his NCAA career at Rice, before transferring to Virginia and becoming an important contributor for the Cavaliers in 2020-21:

Pelicans.com: Many draft experts did not have Murphy on their 2021 draft radar at the start of last season and he was not fully committed to staying in the NBA draft until roughly a month before it occurred. How did he go from fairly unnoticed to a first-round lock so rapidly?

White: My sense is that Murphy started off the radar of most NBA teams for a couple of reasons. He was a promising talent but far from a finished product at Rice, and when he arrived at Virginia he was expected to have to sit out the 2020-21 season. The NCAA didn’t rule him eligible until a few days before the season started, and he didn’t dominate in most games. He was a talented complementary player. But when NBA scouts started looking closely, they saw a player with great length, good athleticism and a fantastic shooting touch. Plus, given Tony Bennett’s reputation for teaching and coaching defense, NBA teams no doubt assumed Trey would leave Charlottesville with a solid foundation in that area.

Pelicans.com: How surprised were Virginia fans and people who follow the team that his stock rose so much in the span of a few months?

White: I can’t speak for everyone, but I follow the NBA closely and was amazed to see how his stock seemed to improve every time another mock draft was released. I joked to a friend this week that if the draft were in late August, Trey might have been a top-10 pick.

Pelicans.com: A lot of the draft analysis on Murphy praised his versatility, particularly on defense. How was Virginia able to use him in different roles last season and capitalize on his range of skills?

White: That’s probably a better question for a coach, but Trey, who admittedly was not a defensive stopper at Rice, improved steadily at that end of the court as he grew more comfortable in Virginia’s Pack Line defense, whose principles differ from those of many defenses. With his length and quickness, Trey can guard multiple positions, which is a prized quality in today’s game.

Pelicans.com: What are the most underrated aspects of Murphy’s game?

White: Not sure if this qualifies as an underrated aspect, but he’s an unselfish player with a high basketball IQ. His shooting can sometimes overshadow other parts of his game.

White: Shot creation. Opponents will be well aware of his shooting touch, and Trey will need to show he can put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. Of his field-goal attempts in 2020-21, 63 percent were from beyond the 3-point arc.

Pelicans.com: In interviews he comes across as very mature and intelligent. What were his interactions like with reporters and others during his time at Virginia?

White: He’s an extremely bright and well-spoken young man. Virtually all interviews were on Zoom in 2020-21, and that made it tough to get to know players well, but Trey was unfailingly polite and thoughtful, and he didn’t take himself too seriously.

Pelicans.com: Virginia has produced success stories in the NBA in recent years involving players who were not lottery picks but are having outstanding careers, such as Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris. Is there something about the preparation at Virginia or the types of players who are recruited there that may lead to them being successful and dependable pros?

White: Tony Bennett’s system is a demanding one, especially when it comes to defense, and there’s a tremendous emphasis on fundamentals. I think players typically come out of Virginia with an understanding of how much work is required to succeed in the game. Trey would have benefited from more time with Coach Bennett, but it’s hard to fault a player for leaving when he’s picked in the top 20.

Pelicans.com: What’s one thing even diehard Virginia basketball fans might not know about Murphy?

White: I’m guessing most fans are familiar with Trey’s transformation physically. He grew from 5-8 as a high school freshman to 6-0 to 6-3 to 6-5 to 6-7 and, now, 6-9. I’m not sure everyone knows that Trey’s mom is a North Carolina alumna and that Trey, who was born and raised in Durham, near the Duke campus, grew up rooting for the Tar Heels. His father played basketball at East Carolina.

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Trey Murphy Q&A with Jeff White

Pelicans.com

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Photos: Pelicans, Grey Goose host 2021 NBA Draft Party

We’ve somehow reached the point in NBA draft conversation where any prospect who spends more than a couple years in college draws confused looks and skepticism. A point where – as New Orleans first-round pick Trey Murphy put it Friday – even a player who’s only 21 years of age is deemed “old.”

“People label me as an ‘old guy’ to an extent, but I just turned 21,” said Murphy, who was born June 18, 2000. “I feel like I have a lot of career ahead of me.”

New Orleans bucked one of the biggest NBA draft trends Thursday night by adding two college players with a combined seven seasons of NCAA experience. Murphy played a total of three years at Rice and Virginia, while second-round pick and No. 35 overall selection Herbert Jones completed a four-year career at Alabama. The 22-year-old Jones was one of only seven college seniors chosen among the league’s 60 draft picks Thursday, including just two first-rounders (Chris Duarte, Corey Kispert).

While some around basketball may view a lengthy college career as a negative during draft evaluations, Murphy noted that playing so many NCAA games (84) and minutes (over 2,200) greatly helped him improve as a player.

“It benefited me a ton,” the 6-foot-9 forward said. “Just so many game experiences you learn and little things about the game you learn. That just takes time. It is super invaluable and something that I feel like I have an edge over a lot of the younger guys.”

Meanwhile, Jones developed from a part-time starter as an Alabama freshman who averaged 4.2 points per game into the SEC Player of the Year as a senior (he also earned the league’s honor for Defensive Player of the Year). His college coach, Nate Oats, noted during a Friday press conference that it was frustrating to see many far less accomplished players at the college level get picked before Jones, who spearheaded Alabama to a 26-7 record last season. The Crimson Tide were the only high-major team to win their conference regular season and tournament championships, partly due to Jones’ all-around excellence.

“I saw a quote from Trajan Langdon that (the Pelicans) were ecstatic he was available at 35,” Oats said of Jones being selected early in Round 2. “I would’ve been too, because a bunch of guys drafted 10 or 15 picks ahead of (Jones), he’s a better player than them and will contribute more to winning.”

That will be a primary goal for both Murphy and Jones as they join New Orleans, finding ways to complement a young core that features recent All-Star forwards Brandon Ingram, 23, and Zion Williamson, 21.

“Speaking basketball-wise, you’ve got guys like Zion and Brandon Ingram; they’re going to attract one and a half (defenders),” said Murphy, a career 40 percent three-point shooter in college. “So when I’m able to space the floor and give those guys even more room to operate, if my man goes to help, it’s going to be a knockdown three.”

“It’s going to be super fun,” Jones said, when asked specifically about Williamson. “I’ve never seen him play in person so I’m super excited, to see how he plays, how he moves, communicates with guys.”

Murphy and Jones also have in common a defense-first mentality, something Langdon stressed would be a priority throughout the offseason for New Orleans.

“Going to Virginia, you have to play defense,” Murphy said, alluding to his decision to transfer to the ACC school. “I took a lot of pride being there. I became a much better defender and now I enjoy playing defense a lot. I know that’s something that will keep me on the floor.”

“I started playing under my dad (as a coach),” Jones said. “He told me, ‘Go play defense and get the ball to whoever needed to score.’ I knew that was going to be my way onto the court to find minutes. I tried to hone in on those skills and be the best defender I can be.”

Neither player put up big scoring numbers in college, with Murphy third on Virginia in points per game last season, while Jones was fourth for Alabama. Yet both made other major contributions, including a few intangible ones, for two of the NCAA’s most successful programs in recent years.

“(We want) highly competitive guys who are team-first,” Langdon said of a trait the Pelicans are pursuing. “I think we got that with these two guys.”

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Pelicans defy recent draft trend, add pair of players with vast college experience

1)      His addition marks the second straight year that New Orleans has selected a University of Alabama product in the NBA draft, after the Pelicans chose point guard Kira Lewis Jr. at No. 13 overall in 2020. Like Lewis, Jones is also a native of the state of Alabama. Jones was born in Northport, then attended high schools in Newbern and Moundville. His birthplace of Northport (population 25,874) is about a four-hour drive to the Crescent City. Lewis’ birthplace of Meridianville is located close to the Tennessee border and two hours north of Northport.

2)      Jones was projected by most mock drafts to be picked in the 30s or 40s Thursday, with Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tabbing him at 34, which turned out to be one spot ahead of where New Orleans took him at 35. Prior to the draft, CBSSports.com writer Gary Parrish said of Jones, “A top-3 wing defender in this draft. Herbert Jones has everything you want but the shot is shaky. There’s optimism it’s improving, though, and after making 35.1 percent from deep last season and winning SEC Player of the Year, he’s got the tools I’d like to add next to Cade Cunningham (as a Detroit second-round pick).”

3)      Jones will continue to spend time refining his perimeter shot, but he found ways to contribute in numerous areas beyond scoring while at Alabama. Jones was both the SEC’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21, averaging 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks. He was Alabama’s fourth-leading scorer, while leading the Crimson Tide in rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.

4)      The left-hander broke his left wrist during his junior season, but opted to play through the injury with a cast. He continued to log significant minutes, by relying on his weaker right hand. During one vital trip to the foul line in a close game against LSU, Jones was forced to shoot a pair of free throws one-handed, but managed to sink both of them, giving Alabama a four-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. The home crowd in Tuscaloosa erupted in cheers, with Jones later telling SI.com, “It was crazy. It’s the loudest I think I’ve ever heard it get on a free throw.”

5)      One draft scouting video on Jones describes him as a “Swiss Army knife” on the defensive end, noting that he can guard positions “1 through 4 with little problem.” At 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, he has excellent length and the ability to slide his feet, putting him in position to regularly contest shots. Several of his blocks in college came against jump shooters, including rejecting players at the three-point arc, a relatively rare defensive feat. He had a total of 37 blocks in 33 games, one factor behind Alabama going 26-7 and winning the SEC regular season and conference titles. The Tide reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing in overtime to eventual Final Four qualifier UCLA.

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Five things to know about Pelicans forward Herbert Jones

1)      His NBA draft stock improved perhaps as much as any NCAA player’s as a result of the 2020-21 season. As ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz described of Murphy, he was “maybe the biggest riser. This is a guy that most people had undrafted coming into the season.” Even after a solid junior season in which he averaged 11.3 points and shot 50.3 percent from the field for Virginia, Murphy initially declared for the draft but maintained his college eligibility, leaving open the possibility to return to school. He later signed with an agent in June, as it started to become more evident he would be a first-round pick.

2)      Murphy transferred from Rice to Virginia after two seasons with the Owls. According to reports, it was initially anticipated that Murphy might have to sit out 2020-21, but the NCAA granted him a waiver to be eligible to play immediately for the Cavaliers. That transfer brought him to the Atlantic Coast Conference and back to the part of the country where he was born and raised. Murphy was born in Durham, N.C., and went to high school at Cary Academy in Cary, N.C.

3)      Early this week, Murphy’s name began showing up on mock drafts as a potential pick for New Orleans, after the Pelicans agreed in principle on a trade that moved them to the middle of the first round at No. 17 (a deal expected to be finalized later). On The Athletic, John Hollinger wrote of Murphy “he’s a tall wing who can shoot and slide his feet. The Pelicans roster is all but devoid of players of this ilk, so he has a pretty clear pathway to rotation viability in New Orleans.” In a separate final mock, CBSSports.com wrote of Murphy and the team, “The Pelicans want to put as much shooting and defense as possible around Zion Williamson, and Murphy checks both boxes.”

4)      As has been noted by numerous draft analysts, Murphy is one of the premier shooters in the 2021 class. He shot 40.1 percent from three-point range over his three-year college career (86 games, 45 starts), topped by a career-best 43.3 during his single season with Virginia. That helped make him a 50-40-90 shooter last season, as he also made 50.3 percent of his attempts from the field and an elite 92.7 percent of his free throws. He went 38/41 at the foul line in 2020-21 and essentially increased his percentage at the charity stripe by 10 points each of the past two campaigns.

5)      The 21-year-old adds to a rapidly growing contingent of Virginia products playing in the NBA. According to Basketball Reference, eight different ex-Cavs appeared in at least one regular season game in 2020-21, a list topped in prominence by Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana) and Joe Harris (Brooklyn). The others are Anthony Gill (Washington), Kyle Guy (Sacramento), De’Andre Hunter (Atlanta), Ty Jerome (Oklahoma City), Mike Scott (Philadelphia) and Mamadi Diakite, who played in 14 games and won a championship as a rookie with Milwaukee.

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Five things to know about Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III

NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans selected Herbert Jones out of the University of Alabama with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Jones, 6-8, 210, is coming off a senior campaign where he led the Crimson Tide in rebounding (6.6 rpg), assists (3.3 apg), steals (1.73 spg) and blocks (1.12 bpg) en route to being named the consensus 2020-21 SEC Player of Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Nationally, Jones earned 2020-21 AP All-America Third Team honors and was a finalist for the 2020-21 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.

In four seasons with the Crimson Tide, the Greensboro, Alabama native held averages of 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 129 collegiate games (101 starts). Jones was named to the SEC All-Defensive teams in 2020 and 2021, and the SEC Academic Honor Roll in all four of his seasons in Tuscaloosa.

As part of a larger trade to be finalized later, the Pelicans have agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to the 17th overall pick Trey Murphy III from the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, the Pelicans have agreed in principle to trade the draft rights to the 10th overall pick Ziaire Williams to the Grizzlies.

Murphy, 6-9, 206, played in 25 games (20 starts) in the 2020-21 season for the University of Virginia, averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, while shooting .503 from the floor, .433 from three-point range, and .927 from the free throw line.

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New Orleans Pelicans select Herbert Jones with 35th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft

Character. Basketball IQ. Shooting. Defensive versatility.

The New Orleans Pelicans will be spending this 2021 NBA offseason seeking a combination of those traits in players they add to their roster. They believe they got a fast start to that process Thursday, acquiring a pair of accomplished college players during the league’s annual draft.

As part of a reported, larger trade to be finalized later, the Pelicans agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to No. 17 pick Trey Murphy III from Memphis. The Durham, N.C., native played a total of three college seasons, capping his career by playing 2020-21 at the University of Virginia, after transferring from Rice. Murphy shot 40.1 percent from three-point range as a collegian, including a career-best 43.3 percent with the Cavaliers last season.

In Round 2, New Orleans used the No. 35 overall pick to select Alabama forward Herbert Jones, who was the SEC’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior with the Crimson Tide. Like Jones, Murphy was considered a stellar defensive contributor in college, drawing pre-draft comparisons from scouts to Toronto’s OG Anunoby and Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, both quality, young wing defenders.

“We wanted high-character human beings,” Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon said just before midnight of the team’s objectives. “We talked about that for a long time. The one thing we wanted to do this summer was bring in defensive-slanted guys, high-basketball IQ guys and shooting. I think we did that with these two players. Both (are) high-character guys that can really bring a lot of versatility on the defensive end.

“One (Murphy) can really shoot the ball. One of them (Jones) can playmake, and shooting is something (Jones) is still working on. They are two guys we really like and we’ll implement really well with the guys we already have on our roster.”

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Pelicans draft additions bring traits New Orleans is emphasizing this offseason

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