New team, same struggles for Jordan Poole to start this season as the New Orleans Pelicans learn why the Golden State Warriors (and the Washington Wizards) felt fine letting go of the 2022 NBA champion.
After having the third-worst plus-minus in the entire NBA last season, Poole now has the second-worst to open this campaign despite switching teams after the Pelicans traded for the dynamic guard during the summer.
Pelicans learning why Warriors were fine letting go of Jordan Poole
Last season's plus-minus numbers can be attributed largely to the young and rebuilding Washington Wizards, with Poole actually putting up decent numbers individually in averaging a career-high 20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 37.8% shooting from 3-point range.
Having given up their 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks on draft night, the Pelicans were clearly ready to jump up the Western Conference standings after finishing 14th last season. Unfortunately Poole has been unable to aid in those hopes, putting up 17.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists on just 35.4% shooting from the floor and 33.9% from beyond the arc through his first seven games.
Poole's still very much capable of explosive scoring games that can contribute to winning, having gone for 30 points on 7-of-13 3-point shooting in an agonizing 126-124 loss to the L.A. Clippers last week.
However, it's his lack of consistency and defensive issues that led the Warriors to evaluate that Poole wasn't a starting backcourt player for them over the long-term, or at least not on the four-year, $128 million contract that they gave him after the 2022 championship.
It took just three games for Willie Green and the Pelicans to make a similar realization, having removed Poole from the starting lineup in favor of rookie guard and seventh overall pick Jeremiah Fears.
Since his 30-point outburst against the Clippers, Poole has combined for just 22 points on 5-of-25 shooting from the floor and 3-of-15 from 3-point range in two games where he was a -27 in 51 minutes of playing time.
He then missed Wednesday's outing against former championship teammate Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks, a game New Orleans actually won 101-99 on the road despite the absences of Poole and star forward Zion Williamson.
What the Pelicans actually do with Poole as they look to develop Fears and eventually reintegrate Dejounte Murray remains to be seen, but it's a problem they'll need to address quickly given the 26-year-old still has a $34 million deal in place for next season.