New Orleans has been home to the Hornets and Pelicans for 24 seasons and along the way, some terrific defenders have suited up in the Big Easy. Four different players, including a current one, have made First Team All-Defensive teams while with the franchise. Read on to see more on the best individual defensive seasons in New Orleans’ history.
Herbert Jones – 2024
Jones is off to a terrific start to his career. He finished top six in Kia Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and by the end of his third season, he had a First Team All-Defense accolade to his name. That came in 2024 when Jones averaged 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while playing a level of lockdown defense that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
Jones missed much of the following season due to injury but the future is bright for Jones.
Anthony Davis – 2018
Davis was one of two Pelicans to be named First Team All-Defense in 2018 along with Jrue Holiday. Davis patrolled the paint while Holiday hounded the perimeter. That season, Davis led the league in blocks (2.6) for the third time in his career and finished third in both Kia Defensive Player of the Year and Kia MVP voting.
Davis was a two-way force that year in particular as he also averaged 28.1 points per game, which still stands as his career-high. In all, Davis made three All-Defense teams during his seven seasons with the Pelicans.
Jrue Holiday – 2018
While Davis was dominating the paint, Holiday was locking down ball-handlers on the perimeter. Holiday played in 81 games that season and averaged 19.0 points, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting just under 50% from the floor.
The combination of Holiday and Davis helped lead the Pelicans to the No.6 seed in the Western Conference. They made it to the Western Conference semifinals but ran into a juggernaut of a Golden State Warriors team, which would go on to win the NBA championship.
Chris Paul – 2009
Paul is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. A 12-time All-Star and six-time steals champ with nine All-Defensive honors to his name, Paul had some incredible seasons with the franchise. He started to find his footing at age 22 in his third season (2008) with his first All-Star nod.
In 2009, he finished fifth in MVP voting, sixth in DPOY voting, and made the first of seven First Team All-Defensive teams in his career. Paul led the league in steals per game for the second straight year (2.8) while also leading the league in assists. Paul spent two more seasons in New Orleans, earning an All-Star nod in each before moving onto the Clippers.