Zion Williamson's Sincere Statement on Early Chemistry With Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole joined the Pelicans this offseason via trade.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole are shaping up to be one of the most exciting new duos in the NBA this season.

Poole came to the New Orleans Pelicans from the Washington Wizards alongside Saddiq Bey in a July 2025 trade that sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk to Washington.

With Poole gearing up for his first season with the Pelicans, the big question is how he will pair up with Williamson. The chemistry between New Orleans' biggest star and their biggest offseason addition will be crucial to the Pelicans' on-court success, and so far in preseason, things are looking good.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) attempts to control the ball as Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Poole has played with other superstars before, namely with the Golden State Warriors, but during his time in Washington, he was running the show. Coming into a new environment can be daunting for any player, but Williamson has made sure to reassure Poole to simply be the best player he can be, and the rest will follow.

Williamson's Message to Poole

"From the moment he got here, my whole thing with him was, 'be yourself, be you.' Nobody is here to slow you down," Williamson said (via Pelicans). "He's so dope, his thing is 'nah, you be you, and we'll naturally just work together."

Preseason is the time for building chemistry, and that's exactly what Poole and Williamson have been doing. With both of being themselves, their styles will need to mesh, and with time and experience, that's well on its way to happening.

"The more reps we get, it's not even a long-time thing, I think it's going to happen a lot sooner than later, but the more reps we get, the better we'll be," Williamson said.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole (3) runs a drill during media day at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

How They Can Work Together on the Offensive End

The combination of Williamson and Poole should be a deadly one for New Orleans. Williamson brings strong inside play and can control the paint with his physicality, while Poole can patrol the perimeter and shoot from the outside, giving the Pelicans plenty of diversity in their scoring.

Poole will also have the effect of pulling the defender away and open up a lane for Williamson to drive toward the hoop. Poole should be able to set up the pick-and-roll while Williamson can make his way to the inside and score.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dunks against Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Poole's three-point shooting, the best it's ever been after a 2024-25 season where he shot 37.8% from outside the key while shooting the highest volume of threes in his career, will be a serious boost to a Pelicans team that ranked 24th in three-point percentage last season at 34.7%.

The stars seem to be aligning in New Orleans, and with time, Poole and Williamson could become one of the most fearsome duos in the NBA.