Getty Images Warriors star Stephen Curry celebrates after a three-pointer by Jordan Poole.
Hall of Famer Gary Payton pulled no punches while calling on Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole to step up ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Poole has come back to earth since his strong showing early in the playoffs, scoring just 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting in the Warriors’ Game 1 loss to the Celtics. After averaging nearly 20 points per game through his first two series, he’s only cracked that number once in his last nine playoff games.
Payton — who is also the father of current Warriors guard Gary Payton II — thinks the key for Poole is just to relax and not think about the big stage he’s on.
“Well, Jordan Poole needs to step up a little bit,” Payton told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Grant Liffmann. “To me, he hasn’t had that Jordan Poole [postseason] he was having since that first round. I think what he needs to do is settle himself down and basically just do him, be comfortable shooting that basketball. To me, I think he’s dribbling the ball a little bit too much, turning the ball over, and I think he just needs to calm down and relax. He needs to relax.”
Poole Still Warming Up to Stage of the NBA Finals
Curry is going to have his success, as he showed in Game 1, notching 34 points behind a bonkers first quarter. But Poole can provide a major boost for the Warriors’ offense if he finds his stroke again.
“I think Poole is the key factor on that offensive side. He has to get it going,” Payton said. “And like I said, he has to get off the ball. I think that’s the problem — he’s on the ball too much dribbling. … You have to get him coming off of picks and doing other things for him to be really really effective.”
Curry came to the defense of Poole following the Game 1 loss.
“It’s tough when you’re switching series to feel out how a team is going to guard him, and just making the right reads and slowing down a little bit,” Curry said in his postgame interview. “It’s his first Finals game, and there’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of nerves and all that. But he’ll settle in, and we all will play better Game 2 and, like I said, respond. So we’ve done it before, and got a lot of confidence we can do it even based on how tonight went.”
Gary Payton II Expected to Play Role in Game 2
Payton also had some strong words for the coaching staff following Game 1, with his son suiting up but not playing. The Warriors could have used his defensive prowess as the Celtics embarked on a 40-16 fourth-quarter run.
“[Payton II] could have an impact like what [Marcus] Smart did when he banged on [Stephen] Curry. He tried to take Curry out of his game, that’s what he did. He started putting more pressure on him. I think you’ve got to put more pressure on Brown, Tatum,” Payton told CBS Sports. “You’ve got to get Brown to stop penetrating and doing the things he’s gonna do. You got to put somebody on there.”
Payton suiting up could have been a bit of strategy by coach Stever Kerr and the Warriors, but the NBA legend doesn’t think they should put him in uniform if he isn’t able to get on the floor.
“They shouldn’t put out that he’s available. If you don’t think he’s ready, then don’t put out ‘available,’ Just put him in street clothes,” Payton told CBS sports. “Why have him suit up? I don’t get that one. That’s a mystery to me, but that’s their decision.
“… I’m glad he’s given an opportunity and a chance to get on that stage. Now the opportunity is for the Golden State Warriors coaching staff to make a decision to put him in the game. They’ve only got a couple left. Just put him in. … He’s been doing it for you all year.”
The younger Payton also sent his own message to the coaching staff.
“I’m available, ready to go. Just waiting on the call,” Payton II told reporters on Saturday. “… I try to tell [Kerr] I’m ready every day. Hopefully it sinks in sooner or later.”
The Warriors are a 4.5-point favorite for Game 2 at home, per Odds Shark.