NBA insider sheds light on how Pelicans will handle center predicament

After now-Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas departed the Pelicans in free agency, New Orleans neglected to find his replacement in free agent.

Now, versatile forward Herbert Jones is being eyed as Valanciunas’ replacement heading into the 2024-25 season, ESPN’s Shams Charania told his colleagues on “The Pat McAfee Show” (YouTube video link).

“I’m told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center for the Pelicans,” Charania said. “You look at CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Zion Williamson, a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, Zion Williamson‘s playing the five.'”

However the team opts to configure its intended frontcourt of Ingram, Jones and Williamson, New Orleans will have a lot of intriguing optionality on offense.

“[Head coach] Willie Green came out the other day and said, ‘He’s not the five… We’re not talking about fives, we’re talking about [playing] position-less,'” Charania said. “I do think there’s some credence to that, but at the end of the day someone’s going to have to guard the other centers, and it’s going to be Herb Jones a lot of the time.”

Jones, 26, was an all-defensive first-teamer during his third season in 2023-24. The 6-foot-7 swingman was the lone player to make the first team who was not a center. It sounds like if he earns the distinction again this year, that may not be the case.

As far as the injury-prone Williamson’s upside this year is concerned, Charania asserts that the All-Star power forward appears healthy and focused this preseason.

“Everyone around the Pelicans believes he’s primed for a big season,” Charania said. “In past years, at this point in training camp or early in the season, there’s always been an injury… I think now, he’s not playing himself into conditioning, he already is in great shape.”