Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors have won five games in a row. After their up-and-down start to the season, this win streak has catapulted the Warriors to an above-.500 record. However, all five wins have been at home, where the Warriors have been one of the best teams in basketball.
With Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, Jordan Poole has been taking on a larger role. He’s been playing well, but his turnovers have been rough – 27 over the span of Golden State’s five-game win streak. Draymond Green said that Poole needs to do a better job at not getting caught in a crowd but also that the Warriors need him to play the way he’s been playing in recent games.
“I don’t think he’s having bad turnovers,” Green said of Poole. “Sometimes, he’s getting caught in a crowd. But you have Andrew Wiggins and Steph Curry out, so there’s going to be more of a crowd. He can do a better job of identify the crowd. But at the same time, we need him to play the way the way he is playing.”
Poole’s turnover problems have been a result of added pressure. Curry usually absorbs most of that pressure, with Wiggins right there next to him doing the same. But with them out, Poole has been the primary scoring option in Golden State, and defenses have been able to focus on him.
However, despite the turnovers, he’s still been putting up great stats over Golden State’s recent five-game win streak. He’s appeared in all five games and is playing 36.3 minutes per contest. Poole is averaging 30.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 43.0% shooting from the field and 26.5% shooting from deep.
Jordan Poole Discusses Stephen Curry’s Mentorship
Last season, Poole enjoyed a ton of success. It was a breakout year for the young guard, and it all ended with him helping the Warriors lift their fourth Larry O’Brien trophy in eight years. He’s been able to step up whenever Curry has been out, and it’s allowed his development to be fast-tracked.
Poole credits Curry’s mentorship for this, noting that he’s constantly in the superstar’s ear, asking him questions.
“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.”
Stephen Curry Praises Donte DiVincenzo
Poole hasn’t been the only Warriors guard to step up in Curry’s absence, though. Donte DiVincenzo has also played well. So well that Curry took the time to praise his play, noting that he has a real chance to show off his stuff.
“A prototypical experienced college player turned pro that’s been around winning and knows how to win,” Curry said via Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “He’s committed to always impacting the game whether it’s rebounding, defending, scoring. He’s got an opportunity here to lead and cement himself as a guy every team should want on their roster just because he can plug a lot of holes and do a lot of different things. He’s given us a lot of, just, presence. He can play with pretty much any lineup.”
