Jordan Poole and Damian Lillard Have Some Eerily Similar Numbers
When people around the NBA talk about comparing a Warriors player to Damian Lillard, that player is generally Steph Curry. Up until recently, it was forgotten just how far ahead Steph is in that race, and this season has only further cemented that.
One thing people probably didn’t see coming, however, was Lillard regressing so hard because of the foul rules that his numbers are now comparable to Steph Curry’s backup - Jordan Poole. Poole’s been having a solid season despite some growing pains in playmaking and shooting from beyond the arc, and given Dame’s lackluster start, it’s only right they get a little comparison.
Poole and Lillard are both scoring guards with great first steps and some craft around the rim. They’re averaging the same percentage from three, at around 28%. They average the same amount of turnovers at 2.6, and despite shooting 5 less shots a game, Poole is only averaging 3 points less while playing 5 less minutes. Poole shoots better from the field as well by a few ticks at 42% to Lillards’s 38%, mostly due to his 60% shooting on 2-pointers (which leads all guards in the NBA currently).
This is obviously not a super fair comparison given that Lillard has been a star for years and Poole is a third year player coming into a winning franchise with an all-time talent, but given how similar of players they are, it’s pretty impressive to see how far Lillard’s fallen because of the rule change, while also giving some high praise to the young Warriors guard. As the season continues on, how much closer these numbers get (or how much further apart they get) will be interesting to watch.
Coming into the season, Poole was one of the favorites for the Most Improved Player award, but given the season that players like Tyler Herro and Miles Bridges are having, that may be a tougher swing. He’s still picked it up a ton since his stint in the G-League last season, which is encouraging to see as he develops further and further into the season.
When Klay Thompson comes back, it’ll be interesting to see how Poole’s role changes. The hope should be that he’ll keep a decent chunk of his minutes and maybe even get some run alongside Thompson while Steph sits. It’s no secret that despite being christened as the next Splash Brother, he’s much better off the drive than he is shooting.
Poole’s elite first step has lead to him getting enough open looks to shoot 60% from the field on 2-pointers, taking about 6 of those per game contrasted to 8 threes. Damian Lillard, although he’s a good shooter, has also been known to shoot well off the drives too. Seeing Poole sort of evolve into the same type of player that Lillard is would certainly not be a bad thing (although his defense is already possibly better) for the team’s future.
(Photo credit: Rocky Widner / Getty Images)