The Story Behind Jordan Poole's Inevitable Trip to the G-League's Santa Cruz Warriors and What it All Means For His Future

On October 28th, Jordan Poole scored 13 points in New Orleans in his first career start, helping the struggling Golden State Warriors get their first win of the season. He knocked down three of his five three-point attempts, flashing the shooting stroke that impressed the Warriors’ front office and earned praise from Klay Thompson.

Two games later, Poole scored 20 points on 53 percent shooting as a starter for a team looking for answers to questions that Stephen Curry’s broken hand forced the coaching staff to ask. He went 4-7 from beyond-the-arc while burying both of his free throw attempts.

That performance kicked off a streak of eight consecutive starts for the rookie.

Despite plenty of opportunity (30 MPG) and a bright green light (11.4 FGA), Poole couldn’t really recapture that type of productive performance. Though his confidence remained high, the shots weren’t falling.

Perhaps with the idea that a smaller role against reserves would benefit the 20-year-old guard, Poole was pulled from the starting lineup. He then shot 8-23 over the next three games, worsening his struggles.

Poole showed some sign of life on November 29th in Miami, tying his career-high 20 points on 5-6 three-point shooting and 50% from the field.

He hasn’t made a field goal since.

In 52:14 of action since the Heat game -- including a season-low 5:48 in the Warriors’ win over the Chicago Bulls -- Poole has scored just two points while missing 19 field goal attempts (10 of which were three-pointers).

Head coach Steve Kerr has left him on the bench in games against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

In between the two contests, however, CSN Bay Area’s Monte Poole reported that the Warriors would be sending Poole to the G-League to suit up for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Poole’s story revealed that the move could happen as early as this week.

As the Warriors’ injured players -- especially the guards -- have begun to heal up and return to the floor, Kerr hasn’t been required to play Poole, which leaves him with little chance to right the ship.

The timing seems right for a trip down to the G-League for Poole as his once limitless confidence has seemingly waned recently.

When the shots weren’t going through the net in the early part of the year, Poole continued to play his game, take good looks, and move past poor moments or performances quickly. There has been, however, a noticeable shift in his aggressiveness, a reluctance to take the shots he should, and a level of self-doubt in his attack.

Now that the Warriors can afford to get him more reps in an environment where he can grow and find his shot, they should.

Poole was billed as a sharpshooter coming out of college, his potential and ability as a marksman ready to let it fly on an NBA level justifying selecting him with the 28th overall pick. Thus far, he’s shooting 25.8 percent from the field on 9.5 attempts and 27% on 4.6 three-pointers per game.

A deeper look at the stats further illustrates how abysmal Poole’s shot has been through the first few months of his rookie campaign.

Forbes’ Shane Young noted that, of 99 players who have attempted at least 30 midrange shots, Poole was tied for a league-worst mark at just 25%. ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry highlighted that Poole’s mere 32.8% eFG on jumpers is the worst of any player with 100 minimum jump shots on the season.

Most aspects of Poole’s game are clearly a work in progress.

From defense to strength, he’s far from being a productive role player on a championship-level team -- a bar that is, admittedly, very high for any 20-year-old -- however, none of those are purported to be his strong suit.

He’s supposed to be a shooter, but up until this point, he hasn’t been able to shoot at even a slightly-below-average level; he’s been the worst, by many measures.

Poole has had an unusual first 24 games as his role and the team’s goals have changed in light of a horrible run of injury misfortune.

Early on, he was expected to provide a scoring punch off the bench. Then, when injuries to Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell thrusted him into a larger role, he was being asked to handle the ball and create for himself and for others.

Most recently, the Warriors have scaled back his responsibilities, trusting him as a shooter waiting for passes from teammates while still allowing him to look to create for himself.

None of it has really offered a resounding solution as his slump has now permeated his once-unflappable confidence.

The G-League Warriors will offer him a chance to regain his touch, build that confidence back up as he works through the adjustments of the pro level. He can simplify things and focus on his specialty in Santa Cruz. He’ll get more reps.

While a December demotion could have a deep impact on a struggling 20-year-old, Poole looks to be the type of player willing to put in plenty of extra work to get better.

Kerr told the media that Poole was on the court putting up shots and working out for an hour following the Warriors’ loss to Memphis, a game in which he didn’t play. Instead, he watched from the bench as he experienced the first of a pair of DNP-CDs.

That work ethic is promising.

Combined with the random flashes of advanced skill as a ball handler and passer, Poole can certainly tap into some potential and become a solid player.

With that said, there’s a long way to go and a stint (or two) in Santa Cruz might set him on the right path. He needs to learn how to get his shot off against longer defenders. He needs to develop a way to attack slow-footed big men off the dribble, especially without traveling after his go-to jab step.

While, ideally, his defense would also come along for the ride, Poole’s priority should be stabilizing his offensive game right now.

Jordan Poole’s career has not gotten off to the start anyone wanted or saw coming, but experience in Santa Cruz could provide him with a renewed understanding of his game and the pro level.