Pelicans' Jordan Poole Is the Odd Man Out After Dejounte Murray's Return

The New Orleans Pelicans are near full strength for the first time this season. Dejounte Murray returned to action after missing the last 13 months recovering from an Achilles rupture. Trey Murphy played for the first time since the All-Star break on Sunday against the LA Clippers. Zion Williamson was kept out of the game for precautionary measures due to an ankle sprain, but he should be good to go on Tuesday against the Lakers.

This gives the Pelicans a crowded rotation, especially on the perimeter. Even with James Borrego preferring a ten-man rotation, not everyone will be able to see the court in the final 20 games of the season. And all signs are pointing to Jordan Poole being the odd man out.

Jordan Poole Was a Healthy Scratch in Pelicans' Loss to Clippers

In fact, Poole went back to being a DNP-Coach's Decision on Sunday. The Pelicans started Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Saddiq Bey, and DeAndre Jordan against the Clippers. Off the bench, they brought in Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Bryce McGowens, Yves Missi, and Karlo Matkovic in the competitive portion of the game.

Poole was previously a healthy scratch for a nine-game stretch before the All-Star break. After Murphy's injury that kept him out for five games following the break, Poole made his way back into the rotation. However, in the first game Murphy was available, Poole was once again an afterthought.

The former Warriors guard will be facing an uphill battle for playing time for the rest of the season. Especially once Williamson is back in the lineup, there are simply not enough minutes to go around for everyone.

Plus, the Pelicans don't really need what Poole brings when they have Murphy and Murray both available. The Pelicans didn't have any problem scoring against the Clippers on Sunday, scoring 70 points in the first half and putting up a 118.0 offensive rating for the game. Where they need help is on the defensive side of the ball, and Poole only makes their defensive concerns worse when he is on the floor.

This is a disappointing development for both Poole and the Pelicans. When New Orleans traded for him in the offseason in exchange for CJ McCollum, they were hoping that the 26-year-old combo guard would be an upgrade over the experienced veteran. Instead, he has been a shell of himself, taking a significant step back in terms of efficiency.

Poole is on the books for $34 million next season for the final year of his contract. The Pelicans would love to move on from him in the offseason, and the fact that he is on an expiring contract could perhaps entice a few teams. At the same time, it's difficult to imagine the Pelicans being able to offload that deal without giving up additional value or taking up another negative asset. That is a problem the front office will have to solve in the offseason, but for now, it's safe to assume that Pelicans fans won't be seeing much of Poole over the next month and a half.