Jamahl Mosley’s call to open with Jordan Poole is the kind of move that raised eyebrows at first, especially after Poole’s uneven first season in New Orleans. But the more the Pelicans’ training camp picture comes into focus, the easier it is to see why the staff is leaning that way.
Several people in the Pelicans space have reported that Poole has been working with a starting group that includes Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Yves Missi. That alignment caught some fans off guard, given how rough Poole’s first year in New Orleans went. He battled injuries, lost favor with the coaching staff, and spent far more time on the bench than anyone expected when he arrived in the 2025 offseason.
Still, there’s a real basketball argument here if Poole looks anything like the player he’s been at his best. Last season, he shot just 37.2 percent from the field, and that number is the biggest reason skepticism has followed him.
Push that back into the 43-plus percent range he posted the year before, and his value starts to look a lot different. If he’s also back above 35 percent from three, the Pelicans’ offense gets a whole lot more dangerous.
The fit is obvious on paper. Poole gives the first group another ball handler alongside Murray, while also putting him in a role where he can attack as an off-ball scorer and creator. That’s the version of Poole that worked before, and it doesn’t ask him to carry all the traditional point guard duties.
The defensive concern is just as obvious, since Herb Jones wouldn’t be in that opening five. But there’s a case that the second unit needs Jones more than the starters do.
With Derik Queen likely serving as the primary backup big, that group could need help on the defensive end. If Missi takes a step forward as a rim protector, he can anchor the middle as a shot blocker at the five, while the bench group of DQ, Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Fears, and Bennedict Mathurin already has plenty of scoring.
That’s where Jones could matter most: as the stopper for a unit that has offense covered but needs more resistance on the other end.
And even in the version of Poole that doesn’t fully bounce back, there’s still value. Defenses are going to respect him as a shooter because of his reputation alone, which creates space for Zion and Murray to get downhill and attack the rim. If the shot starts falling again, the ceiling climbs fast.
There was also a question last season about how much confidence Poole really had from the staff, or how much he was being empowered within the offense. That seems different now. Mosley has been clear in camp about Poole’s value and the belief he has in him, and that kind of backing can matter for a player trying to prove people wrong.
The numbers from last season don’t make the decision feel safe, but this is the kind of move that can pay off if the Pelicans are willing to bet on upside.
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Jaron Pierre Jr. was part of that look for New Orleans, coming off the bench and turning in a modest showing in limited minutes. For a Pelicans team trying to identify who can help beyond the established rotation, these early exhibitions matter less for the final score than for the competition they reveal, and this one offered a first pass at a depth battle that could carry real weight later on. [Read more 🡒]