Pelicans' Herbert Jones done for season after shoulder surgery

As had been anticipated earlier this week by Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, Jones will indeed be shelved for the rest of the season while he recuperates. He hasn’t suited up in a game since Jan. 8.

Jones, a versatile 6-foot-8 combo forward, made an All-Defensive Team last season for his efforts on that end of the floor. At the time, he was a rising talent on a 49-win New Orleans club that seemed primed to make a leap this season.

Instead, the Pelicans have been felled by horrible injury luck, and the team made some major moves at the deadline to offload talent in exchange for draft equity.

Jones has played sparingly this year for the 12-41 Pelicans, currently the No. 15 seed in the competitive Western Conference.

Across just 20 healthy games, the 26-year-old is averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per.