Jordan Poole Complicates Pelicans' Plans With Breakout Game vs. Sixers

The New Orleans Pelicans got an unexpected contribution from Jordan Poole on Saturday.

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Jordan Poole was out of the rotation for the New Orleans Pelicans for nine games before the All-Star break. Due to his struggles with inefficiency on offense and usual lack of impact on the defensive end, Poole fell out of favor in New Orleans. Instead, James Borrego was deploying a guardless starting lineup and relying solely on Jeremiah Fears as the backup.

In the Pelicans' last two games, however, Poole returned to the rotation, largely because of injuries to Trey Murphy and Micah Peavy. To make up for the loss of Murphy's shooting and scoring, Borrego gave Poole 25 minutes against the Bucks and 24 minutes against the Sixers. Like the rest of the team, Poole struggled against Milwaukee. On Saturday, however, he was one of the main reasons the Pelicans were able to pull off the impressive comeback against Philly.

Poole had a team-high 23 points on 8/15 shooting from the field and 5/11 from three. Plus, he added five assists without a turnover. He scored a game-high 13 points in the fourth quarter and ended up closing the game for the Pelicans. As a result, the Pels were +21 in Poole's minutes. This was the best plus-minus of the season for Poole.

The 23 points Poole scored on Saturday were his highest point total in 2026. Whether this serves as a turning point for the veteran guard remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is the fact that this performance complicates matters for Borrego and the Pelicans.

Did Jordan Poole Earn Himself a Role After Solid Outing vs. Sixers?

Dejounte Murray is expected to make his season debut this week. He was upgraded to doubtful on Saturday for the first time this season. Trey Murphy will not be sidelined for much longer with a shoulder contusion. Jeremiah Fears needs to get as many developmental reps as he can handle down the stretch.

How is Borrego going to find enough minutes for Poole in this reality? When Murray and Murphy are back, there will be less need for Poole's shot creation and shot-making. It will be harder to justify playing him over more capable defenders and younger players who need the minutes.

At the same time, it behooves the Pelicans to try to increase Poole's trade value before the offseason. The former Warriors guard tanked his trade value with his disastrous form this season, and he is due $34 million next season. The fact that it is an expiring contract should make him a little easier to trade, but the Pelicans would love for Poole to string together a couple of weeks of solid offensive production.

The game against the Sixers was a good start. It will be up to Borrego to decide whether Poole will have a chance to build upon that momentum.