Getty Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
It’s been a rough season for the Golden State Warriors thus far. After winning the NBA Championship last season, they’ve struggled mightily this season, hovering around the .500 mark for the majority of the year. Needless to say, that’s not exactly how they foresaw this season going.
An injury to Stephen Curry only furthered their problems, and in his absence, Jordan Poole has been forced to take on a much larger role. During a recent interview with Mark Medina of the NBA, Poole explained how his approach has changed with Curry on the sidelines. Needless to say, it’s challenging.
“He’s one of the greatest basketball players to play our game,” Poole said. “So, coverages and game plans are different when he’s on the court. It’s awesome to be out there with him and see what it’s like to play off of him, learn and ask him questions. But it’s also a really fun challenge to play without him and try to lead a team at the highest level. I embrace everything. All the obstacles and challenges are really exciting and fun. I just enjoy playing the game and being able to make an impact on the game and try to win.”
With Curry out, Poole has been the Warriors’ top offensive option, with both Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins taking on larger roles as well. That being said, it’s impossible to replace what Curry brings to the table. He’s one of the greatest talents in league history, and the Warriors struggle without him.
Poole has put up some solid numbers this year, especially considering the time Curry has missed. The young guard has appeared in all 58 of the Warriors’ games this year and is playing 30.7 minutes per contest. He is averaging 20.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 44.0% shooting from the floor and 33.5% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sounds Off on Warriors
Despite their struggles this season, the Warriors are still the reigning champions. At All-Star weekend, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told Draymond Green about how he wants to mimic Golden State’s team habits and success.
“We gotta build good habits. Just like you guys. You guys have built for six or seven years, great habits,” Antetokounmpo told Green via the NBA. “Like, no matter where you guys are in the ranking, you guys always have the opportunity to win because you’ve built such good habits that are hard to break.”
Klay Thompson Discusses Warriors Title Hopes
As for how the Warriors are feeling about their chances this year, Thompson recently discussed the team’s title hopes. He said that he still believes they have a shot to repeat as champions.
“The west is stacked, but at the end of the day you gotta go through who you gotta go through to win the whole thing, and whether that’s in the Finals or in the first round, there’s incredible talents,” Thompson said via the Warriors’ official Twitter account. “So, there’s really no rounds off. There’s no gimmes. And, for us, we know what it takes. We gotta hold the fort down until Steph gets back and just gotta get whole again but I know this break is gonna be very beneficial towards us, and I still love our chances of repeat and I am never gonna lose confidence in this team.”
