Jordan Poole Proving He Belongs at NBA Level

When the Warriors drafted Jordan Poole with the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, it came as a surprise to many. Poole was not considered a first round talent around the league, and even if the Warriors really did like him, they probably could have waited until later in the draft.

However, the Warriors have shown in the past that they are willing to be aggressive for the guys they want, and the Warriors must have liked enough in Poole to draft him that high.

So what did the Warriors see in Poole? They saw him as a microwave scorer 6th-man type of player; something the Warriors haven’t truly had in years. Poole, despite being most known for his buzzer-beater to beat Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, had showcased a wide variety offensive skills prior to the draft. He was also had youth on his side.

The first season of the Jordan Poole experiment went about as bad as it possibly could have. After starting the year incredibly slow, Poole never really found his rhythm despite playing in 57 games. However, he was playing his best basketball right before the pandemic hit, so there was at least hope that some of that momentum could carry into his sophomore season.

It didn’t. Poole opened this season with more struggles, and Warriors fans were very unhappy with any playing time that he received. So, the Warriors shipped Poole to the Orlando G-League bubble in order for him to play heavy minutes nightly and start to get back on the right track with his development.

The first part of the plan went great. Poole dominated the G-League from the moment he took the floor, and his eye-popping numbers immediately grabbed the Warriors attention. As he kept stacking up good performances, even the same fans who had called for his head early in the season were ready to give him a second chance, especially since the Warriors badly needed a spark off the bench.

Ever since then, Poole has done nothing but impress, but this time at the NBA level. In the 7 games that he has been back for, he is averaging 20.9 points/game on 26.4 minutes while shooting 54.5% from the field and 44.2% from three. He has been excellent, he has been efficient, and he sure has been fun to watch over these past few weeks.

So, what’s next? Poole has obviously gotten some extended run in the last few games due to the Steph Curry injury, but he should settle back down to the 20-25 minute range when Curry returns. From there, it will be up to Steve Kerr to figure out how to best utilize a player that is slowly working his way into the organization’s long-term plan.