Getty Jordan Poole drives for a layup in a game against the Houston Rockets.
The Golden State Warriors began their offseason in May, but multiple members of the team continue to play meaningful basketball well into July.
Just about everyone, Warriors fans or otherwise, know that Draymond Green is in Tokyo, Japan, trying to steady a wobbly Team USA that lost two of three exhibition games before dropping their Olympic opener to France over the weekend.
Most probably don’t know, however, that Golden State guard Jordan Poole is just north of the Bay Area, straight up owning the competition in Jamal Crawford’s Crawsover Pro-Am League in Seattle.
Jordan Poole with an absolutely ridiculous display at The Crawsover Pro-Am today with 36pts, 11rbs, and 6asts.
Poole showed a bit of everything in two games at the Pro-Am on Sunday, July 25. During the first contest the Warriors guard, who will enter his third season in the NBA this year, dropped in 36 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.
A highlight video blowing up across social media platforms Sunday shows Poole channeling his inner-Steph Curry, burying crossover step back 3-pointers as well as splashing from several feet behind the line.
Look where Jordan Poole is pulling up from @thecrawsover 👀👀
Poole also shows off his handle on several occasions, freezing defenders’ feet as he blows easily past them to the bucket. He tosses alley-oops, finishes strong at the rim and, during his second game of the day, even passed to himself off the backboard before throwing down a thunderous dunk.
Jordan Poole throws if off the backboard to himself! @TheCrawsover
Poole Expected to Play Crucial Bench Role in Upcoming Warriors Season
GettyJordan Poole, of the Golden State Warriors, shoots over Ben Simmons, of the Philadelphia 76ers, during a regular season game in March of 2021.
Poole played crucial minutes down the Warriors’ stretch run at the end of last season, which saw the team finish with the 8th seed in the Western Conference, qualify for the NBA’s play-in tournament, then fall one overtime period short of earning the right to a seven-game series in the first round against the top-seeded Utah Jazz.
While disappointing, the experience was worth far north of nothing for Warriors players, particularly for those who are still young and developing, like Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson.
“I think the most important developments over (the last 20 games) were Jordan Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in May. “Just because to now have a couple young guys who we think for sure are part of our rotation next season, that’s a really big deal. It’s hard to know who is going to develop and who is not. When guys do — especially the way those two guys did, just being such good fits with our team — it is really, really important.”
Poole’s Career Trajectory Show Major Rotation Potential
GettyJordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Poole, who Golden State selected with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft, spent some time in the G-League during his second professional season, but returned with a vengeance for the stretch run.
The 6-foot, 4-inch shooting guard averaged an even 12 points per game across 51 outings for the Warriors last year. His numbers also improved significantly over the team’s final 20 contests, during which Poole posted 14.5 points per game on 22.6 minutes of playing time each night.
He also shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 35.1 percent from the 3-point line, and was an 86.2 percent free-throw shooter during that 20-game span.
The Warriors’ roster may undergo some significant changes in the days and weeks to come, as multiple reports indicate the team is interested in trading for a superstar player such as Bradley Beal or Ben Simmons.
Golden State’s two lottery picks in this year’s NBA draft, scheduled for Thursday, July 29, are expected to be parts of any deal. Young players and other assets would also likely be included in any blockbuster trade, though Poole’s name has not frequently come up in those discussions.
All that is to say that regardless of how the Warriors navigate the remainder of the offseason, Poole is likely to have a significant role with the team come the start of next season.