The New Orleans Pelicans have only been through two preseason games, but a few players have already made themselves harder to ignore under head coach Jamahl Mosley.
It’s still early, and this is far from a finished product. Preseason basketball can fool you if you try to draw too many conclusions, especially with a coaching change in the mix. Even so, there are real positives worth tracking after the first two looks at this group.
Jordan Poole has been one of the clearest standouts. After a very down year last season, there was real doubt about where he fit and whether he would even crack the rotation.
Instead of looking squeezed out, Poole has come in with a fresh start and answered with strong effort on both ends. Mosley has clearly noticed.
The 27-year-old has played efficiently and looks confident again.
Zion Williamson has also flashed something new. Through two games, he’s already taken three shots from beyond the arc, after taking four all of last season.
The sample is tiny, but the bigger point is that he’s beginning to show more of an offensive range in games. Even if the efficiency isn’t perfect, forcing defenders to respect him from mid-range changes how the floor works for him and for everyone around him.
Jeremiah Fears is making his own case too. He spent the summer working toward a sophomore leap, and some of that work is showing up already.
His jumper looks cleaner and more self-assured, and he even knocked down a 32-footer at the end of a shot clock. He’s also playing with more aggression on both sides of the ball.
Right now, he looks like a talented guard with a year of NBA experience behind him. If his playmaking keeps coming along, he won’t be stuck on the bench for long.
Jaron Pierre Jr. has been one of the better stories in camp, and he’s backing that up on the court. The two-way guard seems to be checking every box the staff wants: effort, energy and activity on both ends.
His athleticism and ability to attack the rim were part of the appeal, but his shooting deserves more attention. He’s 5-of-8 from three so far, with six of those attempts and four of the makes coming in the second preseason game.
The percentage may settle down, but that kind of volume is exactly what works for him.
In Other News...
Pelicans Fans May Not Expect Zion In This Training Camp Debate
Training camp has already produced one small, friendly debate inside the Pelicans locker room, with Derik Queen weighing in on which players have been the most explosive above the rim. After watching practices, Queen put Karlo Matkovic at the top of his dunker rankings, with Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi also drawing notice for the kind of finishes that tend to stand out when the pace picks up.
The list offered a little snapshot of what has been showing up on the court, and it also explained why Zion Williamson was not near the top of it. Queen said Williamson has not been dunking much in practice, a detail that says more about what has been happening lately than about Williamsons well-known athletic ability. For a team that knows how much rim pressure Williamson can create, it is still the kind of training camp note that makes people lean in a little closer. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Final Roster Spots Just Got More Interesting
The Pelicans end-of-roster picture got a little clearer this week as they added another look at Jalon Moore, a rangy forward who spent his college career at Georgia Tech and Oklahoma before going undrafted. Moores path to New Orleans has already been unusual. After tearing his Achilles in a pre-draft workout and missing last season, he was brought in by the Pelicans earlier to help secure his G League rights, then resurfaced with the teams Summer League group this month.
Moores return gives New Orleans another chance to evaluate a young player coming off a long layoff, and it also underscores how much business still needs to be sorted out around the final roster spots. The Pelicans have been using Summer League to sort through those decisions, and Moores presence now adds another layer to a picture that had already been shifting behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Poole Is Forcing A Pelicans Lineup Decision
Jordan Poole has given the Pelicans something to think about early in preseason, and it is the kind of decision a coaching staff would rather have than the alternative. His play has looked sharper and more disciplined than it did a year ago, with the kind of shooting and creation that can ease pressure on the rest of the offense, especially when Zion Williamson is on the floor and the half-court gets crowded.
New Orleans now has to weigh whether Pooles early run is enough to bump him into the starting conversation for the next game against Dallas. The fit is appealing because his playmaking could help stabilize the group, but the bigger question is whether this version of Poole holds up long enough to matter once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]