New Orleans finally got some breathing room this week, and the rotation shuffle that helped spark it started with absences.
Jamahl Mosley had to adjust on Thursday against Sacramento with Dejounte Murray away from the team for the birth of his son and Jordan Poole sidelined by an ankle injury. Herbert Jones stepped into Murray’s spot in the starting five and made the move count in a big way, finishing plus-27 in 32 minutes as the Pelicans rolled to a 12-point win for their first victory of the season. The next closest player was plus-nine.
Mosley had plenty to say about Jones afterward.
“ He’s just a winner,” Mosley said of Jones. “ He finds a way to do the things that help you win games because of who he is as a human being and the player he is as a professional. ”
Jeremiah Fears also took advantage of the expanded responsibility. With Murray and Poole unavailable, the second-year guard handled more of the ball and play-making load, and he responded with 22 points, career highs of 13 assists and four blocks, plus two steals in 29 minutes. That was a sharp turnaround for a player who had struggled through the team’s 0-4 start.
After the win, Mosley pointed to Fears’ approach and desire to keep getting better.
“ He has a competitive spirit like not many that I have seen,” Mosley said. “ It’s how badly he wants to impact winning.
It’s just his tenacity, his will and want to win, and that’s what you see in him every single day. ”
The Pelicans also made a change at center, with Karlo Matkovic replacing veteran DeAndre Jordan, who had been filling in for the injured Yves Missi, listed with a knee hyperextension/bone bruise. Mosley stayed with Jones and Matkovic again on Saturday against Atlanta, and New Orleans followed the same formula in picking up its second straight win.
The defensive pressure has been a big part of the turnaround. The Pelicans had 18 steals and turned those into a franchise-record 40 points off turnovers on Thursday, then came back with 15 steals and 34 points off turnovers on Saturday. Mosley said the team is getting closer to the standard he wants.
“ The effort and the energy and the toughness that we’ve asked (the players) to play with is getting closer to the 48 (minutes) of what it needs to look like,” Mosley said.
Murray was at the Smoothie King Center for Saturday’s win over the Hawks, though he still did not play. The Pelicans chose to give the veteran guard one more day of rest after the birth of his child.
Saturday also brought a warm reception for CJ McCollum, who was back in New Orleans for the first time since being traded in the summer of 2025. The current Hawks guard spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Pelicans, where he was both a steady veteran presence and a mentor for younger players. He also made an impact in the community through charity work and called New Orleans a “great place” with a “great culture.”
“ It would have been better if we came away with a win, but it’s great to be here and see so many familiar faces,” McCollum said. “ The city was really great to my family and I.
We love it here and enjoyed our time here. A lot of people (here) had a lasting impact on our life.”
In Other News...
Pelicans Finally Found A Lineup That Changes The Conversation
The Pelicans have spent much of the season searching for a combination that could steady the rotation and change the tone around the team, and Thursdays win over Atlanta offered a convincing case that they may have found one. New Orleans rolled past the Hawks 121-99 for its second straight victory, with Saddiq Bey providing a major spark off the bench and the group around him looking far more connected than it has at other points this year.
Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic gave the game a different shape from the start, as the starting unit all finished on the positive side of the ledger. Dejounte Murray sat out for rest, but the Pelicans did not need him to control the night, which is exactly the kind of development that can make a coach rethink how the pieces fit once the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Fears Is Forcing A New Pelicans Backcourt Conversation
Jeremiah Fears has turned a quiet stretch into a real conversation for the Pelicans, and it is happening fast. In his last two games, the rookie guard has looked far more like a steadying force than a player finding his way, piling up points, playmaking and activity on both ends while helping New Orleans beat Sacramento and Atlanta.
The most striking part is how quickly the discussion around his role has shifted. Coaches and analysts have started to talk about him as more than a promising young guard, with his recent play opening the door to a starting lead-guard case and even some early Most Improved Player buzz, which is not the kind of momentum a team can ignore for long. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Face A Bigger Jordan Poole Concern
The Pelicans head into their matchup with the Hawks already juggling a long injury list, and the latest concern is the absence of Jordan Poole. New Orleans is dealing with several players listed as questionable or out, while Atlanta comes in with multiple doubtful or unavailable names of its own, even as all of its starters are expected to be ready.
Pooles situation adds another layer of uncertainty for a team trying to steady itself through the early grind. He is sidelined with an ankle issue, and the bigger problem for New Orleans is the lack of clarity around when he might be back, leaving the Pelicans to manage both the game in front of them and a rotation hole that could linger. [Read more 🡒]