Getty Jordan Poole, of the Golden State Warriors in action against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on October 5, 2019, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole seems to improve with each preseason game as he strides toward a temporary, but lengthy, role in the starting lineup.
His most recent victim? The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, October 8.
Poole tallied 28 points on 6-of-13 shooting from behind the 3-point line, according to ESPN. The offensive explosion featured a handful of eye-popping plays from the third-year guard out of the University of Michigan, cementing even further an already strong case Poole has made to start at shooting guard in place of the injured Klay Thompson.
One such play involved a step-back trey over Lakers wingman Wayne Ellington. Before letting loose the deep ball for 3 actual points, though, Poole earned an untold number of style points by putting Ellington on skates and then taking him out to dance.
The Warriors’ official Twitter account posted video of the move following the game Friday.
Bust a move 🕺
“Bust a move 🕺,” the caption said.
Poole Showing Out All Preseason, Stretch Run in 2020-21
GettyGolden State Warriors players Draymond Green (left), Jordan Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson during a game in May against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The move by Poole on Ellington was incredible, but he was only getting started.
The Warriors also retweeted video from NBCSAuthentic of Poole’s final 3-point bucket of the evening, which came from the elbow-extended area on the right side of the court off a transition bounce pass from Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Six threes on the night for JP 😎
“Six threes on the night for JP 😎,” the Warriors posted as a caption with the video.
But Poole wasn’t only a threat from deep. The shooting guard also made four 2-point field goals to shoot 10-of-19 total for the game. One of them was a smooth one-handed dunk off the dribble and was also featured across Golden State’s social media channels.
Jordan Poole showed out tonight on #WarriorsGround 💥
“Jordan Poole showed out tonight on #WarriorsGround 💥,” the Warriors wrote.
The above highlights were all from Friday’s 121-114 victory over the Lakers, moving the Dubs to 3-0 this preseason. But Poole has been playing tough since camp began.
Filling in temporarily as the second splash brother, Poole dropped 30 points on the Portland Trailblazers in the preseason opener. He followed that with a 17-point performance against the Denver Nuggets in the Warriors’ second game.
Combined with the 28 he poured in against Los Angeles, Poole is averaging 25 points per game through three 2021-22 tuneups.
Dubs head coach Steve Kerr told media members after Friday’s win that he is enamored with Poole’s approach to the game, but that it’s also what he expected.
“It doesn’t matter who’s out there, he’s gonna let it fly, which I love,” Kerr said. “His confidence is overflowing, so it’s good stuff. He’s had a great camp, just like we expected.”
Poole Makes Months Without Thompson More Tenable for Dubs
GettyGolden State Warriors star Klay Thompson hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals after suffering a torn ACL.
Poole played in 51 games for the Warriors last year, but he started just seven of them. Still, he remained an important offensive player for the Dubs, averaging 12 points per game and shooting better than 35% from the 3-point line over the course of the entire season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. left during the offseason for greener pastures in Charlotte, or at least more stacks of green in his wallet. His departure cracked open even further the door for Poole to step into the starting role at shooting guard.
Golden State President of Basketball Operations Bob Myers told reporters during NBA Media Day in September that Thompson will likely remain sidelined for multiple months. In the past, team executives have indicated that a home game near the Christmas holiday, or at some point in early 2022, are the most feasible return timelines for Thompson.
That means Poole has the inside track to earn a sizable sample of starting experience in the NBA before returning to the bench in what would presumably a sixth-man role for a fully healthy Warriors roster.
Golden State opens the season against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 19.