Despite the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Jordan Poole gave the New Orleans Pelicans a glimpse at just how dominant of a shooter he can be.
When the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole this offseason, fresh off an impressive first year in the point guard role, the idea was that he would step into the CJ McCollum spot and bring youthful energy to the starting lineup.
The Pelicans offense was supposed to get faster, they got slower. New Orleans was going to get more spacing, they didn't.
After just three games, Poole was benched in favor of rookie Jeremiah Fears.
A much maligned move from Pelicans head coach Willie Green might have been exactly what the veteran guard needed to kick this season into overdrive.
Poole's first game off the bench, against the Denver Nuggets, didn't go well. One could easily read the frustration on his face.
This wasn't a new experience for the 26-year-old. He has started just 60% of the games of his career. It's just that now that he isn't behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Golden State Warriors, those days should have been behind him.
Even when he hit a three, he used that opportunity to stare down towards the New Orleans bench. Most assumed this glare was meant for Green.
Poole finished with nine points on 2-of-11 from the field with a rebound and two assists. He played just under 22 minutes.
The second game was a different story, though. The first NBA Cup matchup of the year for New Orleans came on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Fears was in the lineup starting lineup again, which meant another bench appearance for Poole.
If the Pelicans were to win their first game of the season, finally, they would need a vintage game from the former Sixth Man of the Year candidate. That's exactly what they got.
Now back in his combo-guard role Poole had 30 points on 9-of-15 from the field and, most importantly, 7-of-13 from three.
When Poole gets hot, he's one of the most fun players to watch in the NBA. Just take a look at his shot chart, via NBA.com, and see why:
His threes come from long range, and he shoots them with the confidence of Zion Williamson going to the rim.
Despite this offensive explosion, the Pelicans still left with a loss thanks to a last-second shot from Kawhi Leonard.
If this is the type of performance that New Orleans can regularly get from Poole, though, wins will eventually start coming.