New Orleans

Pelicans

Poole returned to the Pelicans’ rotation after a nine-game absence, and he wasted no time getting up shots. The scoring guard led the team in shot attempts and notched his third 20-point game of the season. For those who may have been concerned about how Poole’s return would affect Jeremiah Fears, the rookie’s minutes decreased somewhat, but the efficiency and production were good. Fears finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 25 minutes. Even with Poole back, there should be more than enough room for Fears to have an impact offensively, especially if he remains the starter.

With Jordan Poole returning from a hip injury and Herb Jones making his second start since returning from a calf injury, there did not appear to be much room for McGowens in the Pelicans’ rotation on Thursday. Well, interim head coach James Borrego kept him in the rotation during the first half, and McGowens started for the ejected Jones to begin the third quarter. He had one of his best games as a pro, matching his career-high in scoring while not missing any of his five three-point attempts. While this performance isn’t enough to put McGowens on the radar of many fantasy managers, it’s clear that Borrego will give him opportunities if he continues to earn them.

While Queen did not set the fantasy basketball world ablaze as he did in Monday’s loss to the Spurs, the rookie produced another excellent stat line. Shooting 66.7 percent from the field, the rookie center finished a blocked shot and a three-pointer shy of a complete stat line and did not commit a turnover. When Queen is aggressive on offense, the entire lineup benefits, as he has also proven to be adept at making plays for others. Given the skill set that Queen possesses, it would be unsurprising if his fantasy value took off while Zion Williamson is unavailable.

The third quarter has been an issue for the Pelicans throughout this season, but that was not the case on Thursday. New Orleans outscored Portland by a 35-29 margin, and Murphy shot 4-of-5 from the field in the period. Interestingly, all five of his shots were attempted in the paint. It seemed as if the Pelicans as a team made a concerted effort to attack the paint in the period, and with significant effect. Murphy remains the Pelicans’ best fantasy option, and only an injury would change that. New Orleans ends Week 8 on Sunday against the Bulls.

Jones argued with an official regarding a foul called with 1.3 seconds remaining in the first half, picking up two technicals from two separate officials. His early departure makes New Orleans’ task of defending Deni Avdija more challenging, as that was his assignment. Jones finished with four points (2-of-7 FGs), four rebounds and one blocked shot in 14 minutes of play.

Poole has been cleared to make his first appearance in a game since November 5. His return likely means fewer minutes for Bryce McGowens and Jose Alvarado, with the former taking the more significant hit to his playing time.

Poole has been out since early November with a quad injury. The 26-year-old point guard is nearing a return given his questionable listing for Thursday’s game against the Blazers. Jose Alvarado will continue to serve as the backup point guard if Poole is ultimately ruled out again.

Monday’s game was the first for Jones since November 21, as a strained calf had sidelined him. While he was limited to 26 minutes in his first game back, the Pelicans wing was productive. Jones is rostered in 22 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and he’s worth adding in some 12-team leagues with Zion Williamson (adductor) out. Bryce McGowens, who was starting for Jones, played 24 minutes off the bench on Monday, finishing with eight points, one rebound, two assists and one three-pointer.

Murphy has scored at least 30 points in four games this season, more than halfway to his total in 2024-25 (seven). The Pelicans forward has been the team’s most valuable fantasy option this season, and by a wide margin. Murphy is providing top-25 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats; no other Pelicans currently ranks within the top-100 of either, according to Basketball Monster. The Pelicans play two more games in Week 8, starting with the Trail Blazers on Thursday.

While the fact that the Pelicans paid a high price for the right to draft Queen remains a talking point, on Monday night, fans saw why the front office took that plunge. The rookie center scored a career-high 33 points and recorded his first triple-double, becoming the fifth rookie in the last 30 years to record a 30-point triple-double. The other four were Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin (two times), Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Also, Queen is the eighth player to account for at least 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocked shots in a game since the league began recording blocked shots. New Orleans ran a lot of its offense through Queen, and that approach only raises his ceiling, especially with Zion Williamson (adductor) out.