New Orleans Pelicans star Jordan Poole made his home debut at the Smoothie King Center against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Although the Pelicans came away with a tough 120-116 loss, Poole was still hyped by the energy of the fans in attendance.
While speaking to the media during recent practice, Jordan Poole was asked about his first experience with Pelicans fans in New Orleans. Safe to say, the Pelicans guard had a lot more love for the home fans than he did for the fans of his previous team, the Washington Wizards.
“I loved it. Oh my God, I loved it,” Poole said. “I went back and told all my people. It feels so good to be in an environment where the fans are engaged and you can feel the electricity in there. You can feel the positive energy. You can feel the fans chanting.”
When talking about his experiences with Wizards’ fans, Poole added, “The last three years… dead in there. It was dead in Capital One.”
To say that Poole’s time in Washington was disappointing would be an understatement. After being traded by the Golden State Warriors only a season after winning the ring with them, Poole spent two seasons with the Wizards, where the team spent both seasons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
After being traded to the Pelicans this summer, Jordan Poole finds himself in a far more competitive environment. With a solid young core featuring Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Dejounte Murray, Poole and the Pelicans could emerge as a team to look out for in the West.
Can Jordan Poole Help The Pelicans Turn Things Around?
The New Orleans Pelicans are a team with immense potential. Although they possess enough talent to be a competitive team in the West, they have routinely been plagued by injuries, especially to their star players.
Jordan Poole’s addition could be considered quite solid in this regard. As a reliable scoring option with championship experience, Poole is capable of being a productive asset even if stars are sidelined.
Last season, the guard averaged 20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 43.2% shooting overall and 37.8% from three-point range.
For the 2025-26 season, Poole has shown his compatibility with the Pelicans’ roster, following a solid 21-point showing in his home debut. Given his ability to score in bunches, Poole could certainly strengthen the rotation.
While the Pelicans’ summer additions have helped to improve the team’s outlook, they have had a less-than-satisfactory start to the season. With a 0-2 record following their most recent loss at home, the Pelicans will look to break their losing streak as they take on the Boston Celtics on Monday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
