My relationship with Jordan Poole has probably been the biggest roller coaster of different feelings I’ve had with any player since I started covering the New Orleans Pelicans. When he was first acquired in the 2025 offseason, I was super high on the move with JP coming off a career year for Washington, and after a bad start, my feelings shifted. Poole dealt with injuries, fell out of favor with the coaching staff, and spent way more time riding the pine than I ever imagined.
Throughout the offseason, my opinion flipped between giving him a second chance and looking to move on from him. However, the Pelicans decided to keep him, and with training camp underway, I see why. Several people in the Pelicans space have reported that Poole has been running with a starting group featuring Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Yves Missi.
Some fans were taken aback by the decision after Poole's disappointing first season in New Orleans, but I'm choosing to be optimistic.
Return of the Poole party
I know Poole’s counting stats, along with his overall approach last year, are the main reason so many fans are against him starting, but if he’s back to the player we know he can be, the fit is great. If Poole can raise his field goal percentage from 37.2 percent last season back to the 43-plus percent he shot a year earlier, his value starts to return. If he can also get back to being a positive floor spacer by shooting above 35 percent from three, the Pels could be cooking.
I understand there are obvious defensive concerns about not having Herb Jones in that starting five and instead having Poole there, but maybe the offense's flow matters more. Jamahl Mosley has always been a defense-minded coach who can maximize lesser groups on defense. Adding JP to the first five gives him two dynamic ball handlers: himself and Murray. It also puts Poole in a role we’ve seen him thrive in back when he was with the Warriors as an off-ball shot maker and creator that doesn’t have to focus on doing traditional point guard tasks.
The more I think about how important it is for Herb Jones to be a defensive tone setter, the more I think the second unit may need more help defensively than the starters. Having Derik Queen likely as the primary backup big is going to come with issues, and if Missi takes a leap as a rim protector, he can hold it down as a big play stopper at the five. With a second unit cast of DQ, Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Fears, and Bennedict Mathurin, the scoring is covered, but the stops aren't, which could be a perfect reason to slot Jones in as that stopper.
We always talk about spacing with the Pelicans, and even based on reputation alone, Poole will draw gravity as a shooter whether he’s having a good or bad year. Think about that: in the worst-case scenario with Poole, he still has gravity as a shooter, which can open the game up more for Zion and Murray to attack the rim and create. And if he gets his mojo back and starts making threes, this group's offensive ceiling rises significantly.
Last year, it was unclear how much Poole was being empowered or how much confidence was put in him, and that can weigh on a player. Throughout camp, Jamahl Mosley has already been very clear about Poole’s value to this team and the confidence he has in him. That kind of investment alone can help, especially for a player already motivated to prove his doubters wrong.
While last season's numbers don’t support it and it seems like an odd decision, this team needs to take risks, and bringing JP in as a starter is a move with a ton of upside.
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