On Sunday night, the Spurs hosted the New Orleans Pelicans. Before the game, interim head coach James Borrego spoke with the media.

If his name sounds familiar it is because he served as assistant coach to Gregg Popovich twice. The first time was from 2003-2010 where he started as assistant video coordinator before working his way up to assistant. He rejoined the Spurs from 2015 to 2018.

Since 2023, Borrego has served as associate head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Last November, after a 2-10 start, the Pelicans fired Willie Green and named Borrego interim.

During his pregame presser, he was asked about Herb Jones. Jones, who recently returned to action after being sidelined with an ankle sprain, is considered an elite defender. In his first game back last Friday, he failed to score but impacted the game defensively, leading to a win for the Pelicans.

Considering his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Borrego’s response was telling:

“He impacts winning at the highest level…he raises everybody’s standard — their level, their energy, their focus…he’s gotta own that defense, hold his group accountable…hye’s an example guy. And, I think, the greatest to do it here, Tim Duncan same thing. He led by example. Over time though, [Duncan] found a voice to lead. There’s a leadership quality through his words as well. When Tim Duncan spoke up everybody listened. When Herb Jones speaks up, everybody listens.”

Borrego stressed that when a player takes ownership, the team as a whole elevates. And he knows. He witnessed two championships here in San Antonio. The former Spurs assistant understands the value of leadership required to make a team compete.

And he wasn’t wrong.

The Pelicans, who had the second-worst defensive rating without Jones, handled the Spurs last night despite coming in to San Antonio with an 11-36 record. While Jones contributed only 9 points, it was his +/- of 21 and his disruptive defense that kept the Spurs at arms length for a majority of the night.

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