One of the primary reasons the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole was his versatility.
His ability to direct an offense as the primary ballhandler and to be a consistent scoring threat when someone else is the primary ballhandler will come in especially handy as the Pelicans begin the season Wednesday at Memphis.
Dejounte Murray is the team’s starting point guard, but the timing of his return from Achilles surgery to repair an injury suffered in January is uncertain.
New Orleans used the No. 7 overall pick in the June draft to select Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, who may be the starting point guard of the future. Coach Willie Green has said he will give Fears as much responsibility as he can handle but allow the 19-year-old to ease into a prominent role, if necessary.
The Pelicans can afford patience on both fronts because of Poole, who showed during his four seasons with the Golden State Warriors and the last two with the Washington Wizards that he has a really good handle on all aspects of being a combo guard.
“I was acquired to play my game and be the player that I am and have a bigger role,” Poole said, “just to come over here and help us win games and make a big impact on our team over the course of our season.”
Poole possesses other significant attributes that will be helpful for a team featuring a half-dozen significant newcomers.
When that roster overhaul began under new executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, he had a brainstorming session with his top lieutenant, Troy Weaver, who had been a consultant with the Wizards during Poole’s tenure with them.
Weaver asked Dumars what he thought of Poole, and Dumars didn’t have a strong opinion.
“He’s your kind of guy,” Dumars recalled Weaver responding.
That meant Poole was “obsessed with basketball” and could be found in the gym “non-stop.”
A few weeks later Poole was on his way to New Orleans as the centerpiece of a three-team trade that sent CJ McCollum to Washington.
“I think Troy and Joe made an effort to get me over here as soon as they had the opportunity to just because they know how I play the game, the things that I’ve learned, my experience, just how good I am as a player and how good a fit I am with this team,” Poole said. “So I think the role is going to be big and important, regardless of the situation and regardless of who’s out there.”
The presence of Fears and dependable sparkplug Jose Alvarado will provide plenty of opportunities for Poole to play off the ball while Murray is sidelined.
“I think he has the unique ability offensively to play with the ball in his hands and off the ball,” Green said of Poole. “He comes off screens, comes off pin downs. He can get to the basket and finish. He’s a really good free throw shooter, challenging himself defensively, to be in the right positions, brings a level of physicality on the ball and off the ball as well.”
As Fears matures and his minutes increase accordingly and when Murray returns, Poole figures to become less point guard/shooting guard and more shooting guard/point guard, though Poole said “the line isn’t as clear” between a point guard and a shooting guard as it once was.
Green wants the Pelicans “to play with a point five mentality,” meaning all five players on the court are able and willing to initiate the offense.
But Poole’s versatility isn’t limited to his ability to play either guard position. His tenure with the Warriors included him being a significant contributor to the team’s 2022 NBA title.
“He won a ring,” forward Zion Williamson said, “so he knows what it takes to get there and having that experience on this team with him is big for us.”
Poole, who played in 35 playoff games while with Golden State, saw the other end of the spectrum in Washington as he was a leader on a downtrodden franchise that finished 15-67 and 18-64 the last two seasons.
Last season he had career-bests in scoring (20.5), 3-point shooting percentage (37.8), assists (4.5) and steals (1.3).
So Poole knows how to thrive in a complementary role on a championship team and also shepherd a team through difficult experiences.
