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The Golden State Warriors clearly have some things to work through before postseason play commences. First and foremost, they must rediscover their mojo on the defensive end. It would also help if they could somehow keep everyone healthy and performing at peak level.
That said, there’s at least one Warriors player who has consistently been on the court and playing like a man possessed. Namely, breakout wing Jordan Poole, who put up a career-high 10 assists — to go with 24 points — during Golden State’s Friday loss to the Hawks.
Over the last 12 games, Poole has averaged a team-leading 25.5 points and 5.3 assists per outing. Meanwhile, he has shot 52.7% from the floor and 48.2% from three-point range.
After his latest gem, teammate Klay Thompson opined that Poole has made himself an indispensable part of the Warriors’ title push.
“We need him to make a run this year,” Thompson said postgame.
Thompson Raves About JP’s Future
That wasn’t all that Thompson had to say about Poole. He also took the opportunity to rave about what lies ahead for the youngster, his impressive skill set and just how fun it is to share the court with him.
“Jordan has such a bright future,” Thompson said. “The world can see that. And we need him. We need him to win, reach our goals. And I enjoy playing with him. He’s such an incredible ball-handler, shooter, scorer and I look forward to seeing him grow every year.
“To be 22 years old and be able to do what he does, it’s a testament to his hard work and his future is so bright.”
The sharpshooting veteran went so far as to endorse Poole as a player who could one day represent his team in the All-Star Game.
“I know he said earlier this season he has a goal of being an All-Star, and I told him he should because he has the ability to,” Thompson added. “And don’t let anyone tell him otherwise because he wants to be great, and you need that confidence to be great.”
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Klay Plays Big Minutes
Poole wasn’t the only Warrior to show out in the ATL. For his part, Thompson led the way with 37 points on 14-of-26 shooting while connecting on a season-high nine three-point shots. He also added seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot for good measure.
However, the biggest number for Thompson in the game may have been 40, i.e. the number of minutes he logged.
It was the first time since he returned from his injuries in January (and well beyond that even) that he has crossed that particular threshold, a fact that clearly wasn’t lost on him.
“That’s a big win for me,” Thomson said of his workload. “I can’t remember the last time I played 40 minutes. Maybe the 2019 playoffs. That is a huge milestone for myself and something that I will build on.”
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