Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
This is the most important stretch of the season for the Golden State Warriors. They have been very inconsistent all season. Struggles on the road and a less-than-stellar bench unit have caused them to remain in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race all year.
On Friday night, they took care of business against the San Antonio Spurs at home, helping them stay out of the Play-In picture. Jordan Poole put in a solid shift off the bench for Golden State, and after the game, head coach Steve Kerr praised him for his recent play.
“It’s been a really good stretch for him,” Kerr said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I mean, he’s had good stretches for us in the past, obviously. But he’s been very consistent scoring the ball. He’s in a good groove offensively. He just seems to be in a good place. So, yeah, Jordan’s playing well.”
Poole put up some great numbers against the Spurs, leading Golden State’s bench. He finished the night with 27 points, two rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 6-of-13 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Over his last 10 games, Poole has been playing extremely well, helping the Warriors to a 6-4 record. He’s averaged 20.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 46.0% shooting from the floor and 40.3% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Stephen Curry Praises Gary Payton II
In addition to Poole’s solid play, Gary Payton II also provided Golden State with a much-needed spark off the bench. He’s played well since returning to the floor, and after the game, Stephen Curry showed love to the Warriors guard for the impact he’s had since getting back into town.
“Like we talked about when the trade happened and the build-up to him coming back, he just knows how to play,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “[He] knows how to make winning plays. [He] finds himself in the right place on both ends. Some of the stuff that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet. His ball pressure. Just his overall presence. So, he had a big three in the corner and got a big steal as soon as he came in. Got us a couple of extra possessions [with] offensive rebounds. So, it’s just the little things that you can trust that he’s going to make those plays, and he also gets the crowd involved.”
Gary Payton II Discusses Warriors Role
Meanwhile, Payton talked about his role after the game. He said that role players are starting to figure out where they fit best and how they can effectively help the team.
“I think the role players are starting to understand it’s getting down to the season, so it’s definitely less is more,” Payton said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Just do the little things, the right things, and like I said, let the heavy-load guys do what they do. But we’ve just got to put them in the right position to be great.”