Jordan Poole Injury Update
Jordan Poole is still out for the New Orleans Pelicans with a left quad strain and he has been ruled out again for the upcoming game at the start of December.
Team reports say he hurt the muscle on the outside of his left thigh in early November and the staff has managed it as a mild strain but it has already kept him out for several weeks.
The Pelicans announced that Poole has been cleared to resume on court basketball work which means he is shooting moving and taking part in some drills.
Coaches have said he is not yet taking full contact in practice so he is still a step away from real game action even though the trend is positive.
Recent injury reports list him as out with a left quad strain for games against the Warriors and the Lakers which shows the team does not want to rush him back.
Reports around the team suggest the plan is to keep checking him day by day after this ramp up period instead of setting a hard return date.
Before the injury Poole had started the season as one of the main guards for New Orleans with strong usage and a big role in the offense.
He gave them needed scoring on the perimeter and a creator who can handle the ball late in the clock so his absence has changed how they run the attack.
With Poole out the Pelicans have leaned more on other guards like Jose Alvarado and young perimeter players who can fill minutes but do not bring the same scoring profile.
The team has mixed lineups more often and has had to rely heavier on front court stars for half court offense while missing that extra shooter and playmaker in the back court.
For his recovery the key will be how his leg responds as the workload rises since the quad drives his first step lift on jumpers and lateral movement on defense.
Medical staff updates say he has made good progress in treatment and rehab with no major setback mentioned so far which is a good sign for a return in the near term.
Fantasy basketball managers still treat Poole as a stash because once he is active again he should walk back into a large role and plenty of shots for New Orleans.
If he happens to sit on waivers in shallow leagues he is the kind of player worth adding early before an official return date hits since value can rise fast when minutes come back up.
Right now the summary is simple Poole remains out with a left quad strain he is back to on court work but not cleared for games yet and his status is being checked from day to day as he moves through the final steps of rehab.
Disclaimer
This injury update is based on publicly available reports and team-provided information. It is not medical advice. Player availability can change quickly, so always refer to official team injury reports and announcements for the most up-to-date status.
