New Orleans Pelicans First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Herbert Jones scored the Pelicans’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 15 times in 56 starts, or 27% of the games they started. Saddiq Bey was next with 14. The Pelicans made the game’s first field goal in 49% of their 82 games and won 25% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Pelicans in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any NOP player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for NOP | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert Jones | 56 | 15 | 27% | 8 | 14% |
| Saddiq Bey | 64 | 14 | 22% | 8 | 12% |
| Jeremiah Fears | 49 | 12 | 24% | 7 | 14% |
| Zion Williamson | 55 | 12 | 22% | 6 | 11% |
| Trey Murphy III | 66 | 10 | 15% | 6 | 9% |
| Derik Queen | 48 | 10 | 21% | 2 | 4% |
| Dejounte Murray | 14 | 4 | 29% | 2 | 14% |
| Jordan Poole | 8 | 3 | 38% | 1 | 12% |
| Bryce McGowens | 13 | 1 | 8% | 0 | 0% |
| DeAndre Jordan | 7 | 1 | 14% | 0 | 0% |
| Yves Missi | 14 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Pelicans scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 82 | 40 | 49% |
| Home | 41 | 22 | 54% |
| Away | 41 | 18 | 44% |
| Regular season | 82 | 40 | 49% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derik Queen | 39 | 8 | 21% |
| Yves Missi | 14 | 4 | 29% |
| Kevon Looney | 8 | 1 | 12% |
| Zion Williamson | 8 | 3 | 38% |
| DeAndre Jordan | 7 | 3 | 43% |
| Karlo Matkovic | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Trey Murphy III | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Herbert Jones | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 80 | 20 | 25% |
How the Pelicans’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 32 | 39% |
| 3-pointer | 20 | 24% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 19 | 23% |
| Dunk | 11 | 13% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for NOP | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III | 51 | 13 | 25% | 6 | 12% |
| Yves Missi | 67 | 12 | 18% | 6 | 9% |
| CJ McCollum | 56 | 9 | 16% | 4 | 7% |
| Zion Williamson | 30 | 8 | 27% | 3 | 10% |
| Brandon Ingram | 18 | 6 | 33% | 2 | 11% |
| Dejounte Murray | 31 | 4 | 13% | 3 | 10% |
| Bruce Brown | 12 | 4 | 33% | 3 | 25% |
| Kelly Olynyk | 20 | 4 | 20% | 1 | 5% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Pelicans?
Herbert Jones, with 15 of the Pelicans’ first baskets in 2025-26 (27% of their 56 starts), ahead of Saddiq Bey with 14.
How often do the Pelicans score first?
The Pelicans made the first field goal in 40 of 82 games in 2025-26 (49%): 54% at home and 44% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Pelicans?
Derik Queen took 39 of the Pelicans’ 80 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 21% of them.
Is Herbert Jones a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 27% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.