When the Warriors drafted Jordan Poole with the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the buzz around the pick wasn’t as high. Now, Poole has slowly but surely developed himself into a fine player. It took a while, but it seems that Poole has found his comfort zone.

Poole’s steady progression since his rookie year has been a testament to his work ethic. During his rookie year, to say that Poole struggled is an understatement. But, instead of pouting about his performance, Poole was sent down to the G-League where he steadily improved.

Then, the pandemic happened, and with the NBA season cut short, Poole found himself in a unique situation. During the pandemic, Poole tried to get himself in any open gym and while everyone else was waiting around for the season to start, Poole was in the gym, working constantly.

When Poole struggled last season, he went back to the G-League and found his rhythm once again. It’s obvious Poole prides himself on his work ethic and it has translated into on-court success.

JP has developed into a consistent three-level scorer. He can take people off the dribble with his quick and deceptive explosiveness. He has worked on his handle and finishing ability. He’s gotten stronger and put more muscle on to take the contact at the NBA level.

Additionally, his midrange game is solid as he’s shooting an efficient 45.4% from the field and has increased his shot-making abilities, and knows how to operate out of pick and rolls to get his looks.

His three-point percentage has grown tremendously from his rookie year, jumping from a pedestrian 27.9% to an increasingly better 34.3%. When he gets hot from three, he’s now earned the green light.

Poole’s progression has been a major storyline thus far. While the Warriors wait for the arrival of Klay Thompson, someone must pick up that scoring burden next to Stephen Curry. Andrew Wiggins has shown that he’s more than capable but has seemingly been content with his scoring averages.

Poole has shown that he’s willing to step up and carry more responsibility as the starting shooting guard in this year’s rotation.

One of Poole’s best games in the early part of the season has been a 31-point outing against the Hornets. He shot a productive 7/16 from three and showed that he was more than capable of being that second option.

Curry struggled that game, feeling under the weather, as he finished with only 15 points. When the Warriors needed another option to go to, Poole was ready and answered the bell.

This game was also a reflection of the development of Poole’s offensive arsenal. Poole lit up the Hornets with a variety of threes, midrange floaters, and impressive finishes around the rim.

Poole has been on an impressive stretch since then, scoring 26 versus the Pelicans, 25 versus the Rockets, and 16 versus the Hawks.

The Warriors are currently riding a 9-1 record, and with teams continuing to stay laser-focused on Curry on the defensive end, the Warriors are going to need Poole’s consistent production.

(Photo credit: Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)