Getty Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors picked up a big-time win on Sunday night, taking down the Toronto Raptors on the road by a score of 126-110. With Stephen Curry sidelined, every win they pick up, especially away from home, will be crucial to their ultimate goal of winning a championship.
In this particular game, it was Jordan Poole who stepped up to the plate and delivered a crushing blow to Toronto. After the contest, Draymond Green sounded off on the young guard, praising his play and noting how important it is for the Warriors while their top dog is out.
“He was incredible on both sides of the ball,” Green said. “And when you connect the game like that, things will go your way. We all know what a special talent he is. He’s been going through some growing pains. To see him come out tonight and have the game that he had – especially with Steph being down and us needing to get a win – was really huge. His effort on the defensive end carried over to the offensive end.”
Poole struggled early in the year, as his shooting splits weren’t quite living up to expectations. And while they’re still lower than they were last season, he’s starting to pick up some of the slack with Golden State’s poster child injured.
Against the Raptors, Poole was dominant. He poured in a career-high 43 points to go along with a rebound and six assists. The youngster shot 14-of-23 from the field and 5-of-11 from three-point range.
Kevon Looney Urges Jordan Poole to Step Up
Poole enjoyed a ton of success last year in the form of a breakout campaign. Since then, he’s been pegged as the heir apparent to Curry, as their games mimic each other. He’s been able to play a similar playstyle for the Warriors.
When Curry went down with his shoulder injury, Kevon Looney sent Poole a similar message after Golden State’s recent loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He said that the Warriors will be looking to Poole to step up.
“Sometimes when he doesn’t get it going in the first half, he might get down on himself,” Looney said. “He didn’t shoot a lot of shots, he let the game come to him and in the second half he really took over and gave us that punch that we needed. That’s what he expect from him. He’s a great player and he steps up in big games and big moments. With Steph being out, he’s gonna have a lot more on his shoulders, and I think he’s ready for it.”
Jordan Poole is Constantly in Stephen Curry’s Ear
While it will be nearly impossible for Poole to match Curry’s career accomplishments, that won’t stop him from soaking up all the advice he can from the all-time great. Poole recently revealed that he’s constantly in Curry’s ear, trying to get as much help as possible.
“Luckily, I’m in the situation where he has taken me under his wing and kind of like being his rook, his young guy,” Poole said. “And following in his footsteps is dope because you can kind of tell that he wants to finally give some of these things away, something he can help in ways that he can help. Yeah, I just grill him with questions all the time.”
