NBA analyst and former Pelicans forward Jason Smith sits down with WDSU to discuss the potential impact of explosive guard Jordan Poole on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Could Poole’s scoring ability and playmaking be the missing piece to elevate the Pels in the West?
Please subscribe, like & share the shows link!
🏟️ The Who Dat Daily: https://www.thewhodatdaily.com
💬 Support Our Network: https://linktr.ee/thepromedianetwork
📱 Save on Mobile Coverage: http://trymintmobile.com/pelican
🛒 Skin Care for Men: https://bit.ly/3y9GYRz
🎙️ Get $10 off StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6456965266407424
Now to talk more about the Pelicans in the NBA, our good friend Jason Smith, former NBA star here in New Orleans. I love to talk about his takedown of Blake Griffin, but we don’t have as much time for that. That made him a fan favorite here, like a football player on the basketball court. But let’s get started. You want to ask the first question? Yeah, let’s talk about Jordan Pool. What kind of contributions will he make to the Pelicans? How will he fit alongside of Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy? And before you answer that question, I do want to set this up. I’m sorry to interrupt you. You are a broadcaster now for the Wizards, so you know very much about Jordan P. You know, it’s it’s funny that you say Jordan Pool because he is an actual microcosm of the game, but he affects so many facets of the game. He can bring the ball up. He can get guys involved. He can score the ball. He shoots basically unlimited range. The only thing that you have to worry about with Jordan P is his turnoverprone ability. If he’s going to go out there and be effective, he’s going to be getting that ball to Zion. He’s going to be attacking the basket in transition. He is a very phenomenal player in the right circumstance. And for the fact that you guys have Zion Williamson, there’s going to be a ton of lobs from Jordan P. And I think that you’re going to be very, very excited to have him on your team. If I can ask a question right now, look, the Wizards, sometimes teams in the NBA are at different stages. The Wizards are a young team. They’re rebuilding. They’ve got some highv value draft picks. P’s numbers last year were off the charts. Was it because he was playing a lot on a bad team or because he’s a good player? Just your opinion. I mean, he was it’s a kind of a combination of the both. He’s a very good player. He’s very talented. Sometimes it’s difficult to play on certain circumstances. I mean, he came from the Golden State Warriors, which is in itself a very, very good team coming off of a championship. And then he comes to the Washington Wizards. A very different circumstance, but he learned, he adapted, and in his second year, he excelled really with his three-point basket, with his assist to turnover ratio. He made a great jump from his first year to his second year. So, I’m looking forward to see what he does down in New Orleans this year. And Jason, what kind of leader is Jordan? Because this team is always looking for that veteran leadership. What kind of veteran leader is he and what kind what could he provide for this team in terms of leadership? Well, he’s young enough to where he can still relate to a lot of the guys on the team, but he’s also has that experience of getting to the playoffs, getting to that championship level, and winning it all. So, you’re going to see that combination of the guys really rally around him and look towards him to seeing what he does on the offensive end, but also on the defensive side of the basketball. And especially when the game is close in the fourth quarter, he seems to have this knack to take over. And we had this term up in Washington. It was always whenever WA Washington was going well, it was because there was a pool party and pool party threes are going. He’s driving to the basket, getting to the free throw line. Jordan Pool is that essence on the floor. Two more quick questions here for you, Jason. The Western Conference just seems loaded. I’m not sure who to pick as the favorite. Sure, Oklahoma City because they’re young in talented. your thoughts on the Western Conference and what the Pelicans could do and also on the East because to me now that Jason Tatum is injured and Boston may have a gap year. I feel like the East is wide open. I think both conferences are very different. The Western Conference, like you said, is very competitive. It’s going to be a cutthroat all the way to the end of the season. The Eastern Conference, it typically has been Boston Celtics, but now that they are a little bit banged up, Jason Tatum’s coming off of his injury. I think the cle Cleveland Cleveland Cavaliers could be that dark horse coming out of the Eastern Conference, but you can never you can’t take away from the Indiana Pacers and what they did last year. Now granted, their main guy Tyrese Hallebertton is injured. He’s going to be injured throughout the entire season. So, it’s going to be a wideopen Eastern Conference, but look for the Cleveland Cavaliers to come out of the East and in the West. Good luck. You guys got a crapshoot over there. It could be any one of any number of teams that come out of the West, but always keep your eye on the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder. And Jason, final question. How far do you think the Pelicans can go in this stacked Western Conference? I know Vegas doesn’t really like them. 31 and a half wins, I think, the over and under. If healthy, I know that’s been the case every year. If healthy, how far can they actually get? You know, they could be a playoff team, but it’s exactly what you just said. If they are healthy, health is a real determining factor of how good your team is going to be. And especially at the end of the season, you saw all of the best teams last year deal with health problems. And when your best guy goes down, you need that next manup mentality. And that’s where the chemistry really comes into factor. Especially with the Pelicans, they need to have a 1 through 15 man on the roster to go out up and down the floor regardless of who’s out there. Make sure they’re playing hard and playing the right
