The New Orleans Pelicans picked up their second preseason win, 101-97 over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. This was the third straight game in which new head coach Jamahl Mosley experimented with a different starting lineup, opting to roll with Jeremiah Fears, Bennedict Mathurin, Saddiq Bey, Karlo Matkovic, and Yves Missi. You’d assume that the usual stars like Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III would be out for Mosley to roll with a starting five like this, but no, he had them come off the bench.
Dejounte Murray missed his second straight game with a toe injury, and Dallas was also without their two stars, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Even though the Mavericks didn't roll out their A team, there was plenty to like if you’re a New Orleans Pelicans fan, so let's get into my three major takeaways from this dub.
The time to build around Jeremiah Fears is now
Happy 20th birthday, Jeremiah Fears, and what a way to bring in your 20s. Fears finished with 16 points, three rebounds, five assists, and three steals, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Fears looked like he was ready to take the mantle from Zion Williamson as the Pelicans' franchise player, given the way he played in this game.
He dominated my game notes in this one, from cashing a catch-and-shoot corner three to scoring a putback layup and throwing down a monster jam off an offensive rebound. Fears set the tone for the Pelicans and looked way more like a 10-year NBA vet than someone who just turned 20. His playmaking was crisp, splitting defenders and throwing lobs up to Yves Missi, dishing to Bennedict Mathurin for a corner three, or dumping it off to Saddiq Bey in the dunker spot.
Defensively, he was so active, staying in front of his man, fighting hard to maintain positioning, and then crashing the defensive glass hard. He also picked a pass off in mid-air like he was playing corner in the NFL to then set up an easy bucket for the Pels the other way. New Orleans needed energy on that end, and Fears brought it.
On top of all that, he may have had the highlight of the night in the NBA by welcoming Sergio De Larrea with a nasty ankle-breaker that sent him out of the frame. The best part? He cashed the three to complete the ankle-breaker.
I’ve been all in on Fears as franchise point guard since the second half of his rookie season, and that isn’t changing. While his preseason in general has been strong, what we saw from him Wednesday night at all levels of the game is more of a sign than ever that the time to build around him is now.
Jordan Poole needs to start PERIOD
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: my relationship with Jordan Poole since he joined the Pelicans in the 2025 offseason has been like a toxic situationship. It started off great. I was super high on his potential coming off a career year, then my optimism slowly dwindled before returning. By the end of last season, I was calling for him to be traded. But my goodness, he has done everything he’s needed to do this preseason, and one of those starting backcourt spots has to be his.
Poole finished Wednesday night with four points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 17 minutes while shooting 1-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line. If you didn’t watch the game, you’re probably wondering what about this box score screams he deserves to start, especially when you factor in he was 0-of-2 from three. But it was what he did outside of the confines of a box score that stood out.
Like the rest of preseason, Poole really got after it defensively. He was swiping at balls, communicating switches and positioning to his teammates, staying disciplined, and playing really hard on that end of the floor. Obviously, Poole will never look like an elite defender, but for him to hold his own on that end while bringing the gravity he brings as a creator and shooter, why wouldn’t Mosley start him?
It’s unclear what the plan will be for the final preseason game against Washington, but if he decides to give his opening-night starters a trial run, I expect JP to be a part of that group.
Karlo's Korner!
If you listened to the Pelicans broadcast tonight, you heard the phrase ‘Karlo's Korner,’ coined because Karlo Matkovic was automatic from the right corner three. After missing his first attempt from there, Matkovic made his next three, shooting 3-of-4 from three and finishing with 11 points and two rebounds in 18 minutes.
For a Pelicans team that needs floor spacing around Zion Williamson, Matkovic should be a heavily featured role player this season. His ability to stretch the floor could be a great weapon for Zion when he gets downhill—Mosley just needs to play them together more.
I love Matkovic’s archetype as a jumbo floor spacer with athletic pop and solid defensive tools. At 25, he can fit in the present and the future for the Pelicans, and I hope he gets a ton of burn this season because he’s been a real bright spot this preseason.
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