If the Pelicans are going to keep tinkering with the starting five, Jordan Poole has done enough in the preseason to force his way into the conversation.
Jamahl Mosley has already used two different opening lineups, and with New Orleans set to face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, another change would make sense. Poole should be the one to slide in.
That wasn’t an obvious call a year ago. Poole’s first season in New Orleans never really took off after he arrived following a career year with the Wizards.
He was supposed to give the Pelicans a boost as a floor spacer and shot creator, but the season unraveled, and by the end he was buried in DNPs. By the time the offseason arrived, it looked like the experiment might be finished after one year.
Instead, Joe Dumars and the front office kept him around and bet on a turnaround.
So far, that bet is looking a lot better.
Poole seems to be buying in more under Mosley, and the early preseason returns have been encouraging. He’s giving New Orleans the kind of spacing this starting group needs, and he’s doing it while looking much more composed on both ends.
His offense has been the most obvious difference. Through two games, Poole has looked patient and deliberate as both a scorer and a playmaker.
He’s not firing away three seconds into the shot clock, and he’s not forcing shots the moment he spots a window. That kind of restraint matters, especially for a player whose shot selection and consistency were major talking points last season.
The defensive side has been better, too. Poole will never be mistaken for an elite stopper, but his discipline and awareness have clearly improved. For a player who drew plenty of criticism for his defense last season, that’s a meaningful step.
That’s why the case for starting him is pretty simple: he’s earned a bigger test.
If Dejounte Murray is back Wednesday after sitting out against Miami, pairing him with Poole would give Mosley a backcourt with creation and shooting. Murray showed in the 14 games he played last season how effective he can be as a creator and playmaker, and adding another shooter next to him would help.
It would also help Zion Williamson. Williamson is at his best when the floor opens up around him, especially when defenses collapse and he can find an open teammate. Outside of Trey Murphy III, the starting group doesn’t have many reliable perimeter threats, but Poole’s career track record and his preseason shooting suggest he can fill that role.
Over his career, Poole has hit 34.4 percent of his three-pointers on 7.2 attempts per game, and he’s gone 3-of-5 from deep in the preseason so far.
None of that erases what happened last season. Poole was criticized for his defense, decision-making, shot selection and inconsistency, and two preseason games don’t wipe that away.
But preseason is about figuring out who fits and who can help. Right now, Poole has done more than enough to get the first crack at starting.
In Other News...
Pelicans Fans May Not Expect Zion In This Training Camp Debate
Training camp has a way of surfacing little debates that never show up in the box score, and Derik Queen just opened one inside the Pelicans gym. After watching practices, the rookie sized up the teams best dunkers and put Karlo Matkovic at the top of his list, with Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi right behind him, a reminder that New Orleans has plenty of bounce even before the season starts.
The more intriguing part of Queens ranking is who did not land near the top. Zion Williamson was part of the discussion, but Queen noted that he has not been dunking much in practice, making the list more of a reflection of whats been visible lately than any judgment on Williamsons athletic reputation. For a fan base used to measuring Zion by highlight-reel standards, its a small training camp note with a much bigger edge to it. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Supporting Cast Sent An Early Message In Preseason Loss
The Pelicans did not get the result they wanted in their preseason meeting with Miami, falling 128-118, but the game still offered an early look at how the supporting cast can shape this group. While New Orleans had some uneven stretches, several role players took advantage of the minutes in front of them and gave the coaching staff something useful to evaluate before the games start counting.
Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III did not match the standard expected of them, which left the night feeling more like a mixed referendum on the rotation than a clean statement game. Even so, the broader takeaway for New Orleans was less about the final score and more about which pieces around the top end of the roster are already showing they can carry real value when the preseason spotlight lands on them. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Just Sent An Early Message About Their Frontcourt Battle
Training camp is barely underway, but the Pelicans have already started sorting out the back end of their frontcourt picture. New Orleans released center Christian Koloko, its first cut of camp, after bringing in the former Toronto Raptors second-round pick on a training camp deal in hopes of finding a deeper look at the position.
The move gives an early hint about where the attention is going next, and it says plenty about the competition around the roster bubble. Malik Dia and Julian Reese are still in the mix as two-way options, and with camp spots at a premium, the Pelicans are clearly keeping their eyes on younger bigs who can grow into the job rather than simply fill space. [Read more 🡒]