Around midseason last year, it looked as if Jordan Poole could struggle to find a place at the end of the bench for the Golden State Warriors. Just a few months and one dramatic turnaround later, he could be poised to join the starting lineup on opening night.
The 22-year-old swing guard was on a two-way contract and did little to stand out during his stint with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors last season. Something clicked when he returned to Golden State, however, and Poole became one of the team’s most effective players off the bench. He particularly shined during a stint starting in relief of an injured Steph Curry, leading the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau to write that he had never seen such a dramatic in-season turnaround for a player.
“In the first month-plus of the season, he still looked a bit lost at times, attempting ill-advised jumpers and needlessly dribbling,” Letourneau wrote. “Even at the G League bubble, Poole struggled with turnovers and his 3-point shot. But since returning to Golden State two weeks ago, he has looked so poised and polished.”
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Poole Could Fill in for Injured Star
The Warriors will start the season with an opening on the wing as star Klay Thompson is not expected to return from his Achilles injury until around January. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr this week gave a big endorsement to Poole, hinting that he could be ready to fill in for Thompson in the starting lineup.
“I feel more confident in Jordan than ever,” Kerr said, via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s been our most consistent worker for two years now. You can see the confidence level. He’s shooting shots with ease now, because his body is stronger, more fit, more fluid. What I’ve challenged him with this year is to be better defensively, just like he made the leap offensively last year.”
Heading into his third NBA season, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says he feels more confident in Jordan Poole than ever. t.co/emMOarGHRR
Poole averaged 12 points per game last season on 43% shooting from the field, displaying some key play-making ability with the second unit.
A New Role
As Simmons noted, Poole would need to step up his defensive game if he is to start on the wing alongside Curry. That would mean that Poole is covering the opponents’ bigger guards, Simmons noted, which could be a challenge given that Poole is a bit undersized for a wing at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. But the team said he is one of the strongest pound-for-pound players, showing confidence that he could fulfill the assignment.
Jordan Poole working on his three at Warriors training camp. Steve Kerr said he’s very confident in Poole & he wants him to play alongside Steph. Poole may be the answer at the two-guard until Klay returns, he said he plans to fight for that spot. @kron4news #DubNation
Poole said he’s up for the challenge, and compared it to the work he did in the G League bubble in Orlando to prepare for his return to the Bay Area with the big club. Along the way, Poole earned a reputation as the team’s hardest worker, Simmons noted.
“It just showed me that the work works,” Poole told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was just a testament to see that all of our work from the nine months prior, during the pandemic, was able to show up. Just continue to stay in the routine that I’m in, the rhythm that I’m in, and just get better every single day.
“It’s as simple as that.”
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Warriors Guard Appears Poised to Jump From G League to Starting Lineup