Getty Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr roams the sidelines during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jordan Poole has had a funky season for the Golden State Warriors.
After spending the first two years of his career as a bench guy, the 22-year-old finally got a chance to start in 2021-22. He made good on the opportunity, too, becoming the No. 3 scoring option behind All-Stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, while displaying newfound chops on the defensive side of the ball.
In doing so, he played a key role in helping the Warriors amass one of the best records in the NBA. Nevertheless, he was dumped back into the second unit when Klay Thompson finally returned. Since then, he has struggled at times to show the mojo that had put him on a breakout path previously.
More recently, though, Poole has been showing out. During Golden State’s Thursday win over the Nuggets, for example, he scored 21 points and hit two dagger threes to seal the win for the Dubs.
After the contest, head coach Steve Kerr couldn’t help but shake the proverbial pom poms for the once unlikely hero.
Kerr Gushes About Poole’s Big Splash
While Poole didn’t take top honors as a scorer in the contest — that distinction went to Steph Curry, who went into MVP mode and dropped 34 points — the baller was arguably the most impactful player in the game.
In his 34 minutes on the court, the Warriors outpaced Nikola Jokic and Co. by an incredible 29 points (in a game they won by 11).
None of this was lost on Kerr, of course, who raved about Poole’s performance during his postgame press conference.
“Tonight, I thought he made a lot of winning plays,” Kerr said. “Not just making shots, but seven assists, only two turnovers. He’s got the ball in his hands an awful lot and played 34 minutes, ran the team well, had five rebounds. I thought his defense was really good and competitive.”
He added, “I thought this was one of the best games Jordan has played. He’s strung together four or five good ones in a row now and he’s really coming into his own.”
Kerr’s not blowing smoke here. Over his last five appearances, Poole is averaging 23.8 points and five assists per outing. He has also hit on 61.1% of his field-goal attempts and nearly 60% from deep on 7.8 attempts per game.
Along the way, the Warriors have outscored their opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the hardwood. That’s the best number on the team among major minute-getters during that stretch.
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Poole Could Reclaim His Starting Spot
Although Poole was destined to hit the bench once Klay returned, Kerr and the rest of the Warriors’ power structure are clearly of the belief that he has more to offer than his second-unit status would suggest. Along with Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, he’s a future cornerstone of the franchise.
And with the Warriors facing a tough call on keeping Wiggins in the fold beyond 2023 — when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent — there’s at least a thought that the club could let him walk or trade him away to clear space for Poole.
Heavy.com editor and league insider Sean Deveney had this to say on the matter during a recent livestream:
Jordan Poole, the young wing, the Warriors want to sign him to an extension. If they sign him to an extension, that could be it for Wiggins in Golden State. He’s got one more year on his contract, $33 million. They could play it out which is absolutely possible, or they could try to get something for him.
At the least, it’s a situation to monitor over the coming months.
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