Getty Jordan Poole, Warriors
It is almost as though, the closer the Warriors get to the return of Klay Thompson, the more the discussion ramps up about his taking an NBA court for the first time in two-and-a-half years, the better Jordan Poole has played. It stands to reason that, with Poole having held down the shooting guard’s spot this year for Thompson, it is only a matter of time before he undergoes a major role change—back to the bench, with Thompson as a starter.
It could be a tough transition for Poole, who is having a breakout year, his third season in the NBA. But as Warriors insiders Grant Liffman and Kendra Andrews discussed on the Dubs Talk show this week, the return of Thompson won’t mean the end of Poole playing a major role for the Warriors. After all, Poole is averaging 18.5 points on 45.6% shooting and 34.7% 3-point shooting.
Andrews summed it up:
He is going to be a massive key for a while because as excited as we are about Klay Thompson’s return, it is going to take a while for him to get his legs back underneath him. He is going to be on a strict minutes restriction as he gets his endurance, as he gets back into game shape.
So, Jordan Poole is – when Klay Thompson is ready to come back, it’s not like it will be, ‘Thanks, Jordan, for your service, now see you later, at the end of the bench.’ No. He’s probably, I think, going to start for a few games when Klay comes back and he’s going to be one of the first guys off the bench in the rotation.
Can Poole Transition to the Bench?
Still, there is some concern about Poole’s ability to slip back to a bench role now that he has established himself as a starter. And, what’s more, now that he has eliminated some of the mistakes to which he was prone going back to last season, as well as early this year.
Even when Poole was averaging 16.5 points in the first 15 games of the season, he was struggling with consistency and, too often, forcing up bad shots. He shot 42.6% in that span, and 28.6% from the 3-point line.
He’s changed that in his last six games, though: 23.5 points, 52.7% shooting, 48.1% 3-point shooting.
Poole’s Efficiency Has Gone Way Up
That was on display on Tuesday against the Suns, when most of Poole’s teammates were struggling with their shots, especially star guard Stephen Curry. Poole had 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting, 6-for-12 from the 3-point line, all but singlehandedly keeping Golden State in the game. The rest of the Warriors shot a combined 38.0% on the game.
Being the efficient guy was a big change for Poole.
“Against the Suns,” Andrew said, “he moved with a certain preciseness and decisiveness that was good to see and he lacked in some of those up-and-down games that he was having earlier on in the season. But against the Suns, when he attacked, he clearly wanted to attack. When he shot the ball, it was clearly what he wanted to do. He wasn’t just chucking up shots or just frantically trying to get to the hoop. It was all very calculated. It’s the confidence in his decision-making that has come a long away.”