If you look at a lot of people’s lists when it comes to players who haven’t quite lived up to expectations this season, Jordan Poole is probably on a lot of them.

Despite a stretch of games where he was looking every bit of the first option he could be entering the new year, Poole’s counting stats have shown some regression: He’s decreased his shooting efficiency by basically every mark (field goal percentage, 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage, free throw shooting, etc.) and increased his turnovers per game. Higher volume and increased usage have allowed him to increase his points per game average to 20.4, but his efficiency just hasn’t scaled when you look at the numbers.

But that’s why analysis isn’t all about the numbers: You have to marry it with the eye test and contextualize it from there. Over his last 15 games, JP’s actually put together a nice stretch: 19.3 points per game on 42/36/90 as a scorer, and 4.4 assists with 2.5 turnovers a contest as a playmaker. Nothing too flashy, but there’s definitely some improvement.

The growth we’ve seen recently from him has only kind of been reflected in the stat, and when you realize he hasn’t been in a starting role for most of these games, his status as a 6th man makes them what we’d consider to be great for someone coming off the bench.

When we discussed his stretch filling in for Stephen Curry at the 1, there were some key areas that were identified for Jordan to continue being elite, primarily shot selection, turnovers, and generally overcomplicating things for himself. His shot selection has been… better, taking less shots with high degrees of difficulty off the dribble and instead taking mostly assisted triples off the catch. He’s also decreased his turnovers, a major bright spot in his development.

Where he’s historically trapped himself has been making too many dribbles to beat a defender. Jordan’s got one of the best first steps in the league and he’s extremely hard to stay in front of when he opts for only one or two dribbles instead of trying to beat his man what seems like multiple separate times.

These developments are going to be key in the postseason. A lot of the “x-factor” discussion has rightfully surrounded Andrew Wiggins, given he’s missed the most time and is arguably the team’s second-best player more often than not, but Jordan Poole has a major case for the moniker especially after last season’s title run. More than anything, the Dubs need for him to be a game manager off the bench, somebody who can help direct the offense and be the engine in the same way Steph is.

In the playoffs, things slow down a ton. Poole’s been noticeably better at drawing fouls on his way to the rim, showing he has no problems with the physicality a tighter whistle can bring. Keeping his shot selection simple as the Warriors run their offense and taking care of the ball are absolute necessities for what his role will likely end up being. Sometimes he’ll have to be a scorer, but the random heat-checks and careless slipping would make things a whole lot more difficult for him to maximize his impact.

When the lights get brightest, we know JP’s going to show up. He’s become such a popular player for a reason, ranking 9th on the NBA’s list of most-viewed players on their socials and 15th in jersey sales. He’s a certified star in the making, and not only will the Warriors need him more than ever if they want to run it back again this year, but he’ll get the opportunity to solidify his case as the next man up for face of the franchise.

(Photo credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)