Warriors forward Draymond Green takes seriously his role as Jordan Poole’s mentor, which is why he texted Santa Cruz head coach Kris Weems from time to time during the recent G League bubble for updates on the second-year guard’s progress.
In the span of a few weeks, Weems’ reports about Poole evolved from, “He needs to buy in” to, “He’s doing all the right things.” It has come as no surprise to Green, then, that Poole is emerging as a key member of the Warriors’ rotation.
Since returning from the G League in early March, Poole, 21, has come off the bench to average 19.0 points on 54% shooting (45.9% from 3-point range) in five games. Gone are the extra dribbles that plagued his first season-plus in the NBA. With a smooth jumper and renewed offensive purpose, he is making a strong case to factor into the Warriors’ long-term plans — not just as a fringe role player, but as a go-to option for the second unit.
This could affect how general manager Bob Myers approaches next Thursday’s trade deadline. For months, the Warriors were in desperate need of a scoring boost off the bench. Now, with Poole finally experiencing the breakthrough coaches have long forecasted for him, Myers can prioritize more glaring needs such as point guard or center depth.
“I don’t know many people that work harder than Jordan,” Green said of Poole, who could have more ballhandling responsibilities with Stephen Curry (bruised tailbone) likely to miss Friday night’s game in Memphis. “Now he’ll start to reap the rewards from that.”
Talk of Poole’s diligence has been a common theme since the Warriors took him out of Michigan with the No. 28 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But as Poole followed up such praise with missed jumpers and shaky defense, many were left to wonder: When would he play up to his “gym-rat” reputation?
In early February, after struggling to beat out guard Mychal Mulder for a regular rotation spot with Golden State, Poole was sent to the G League bubble near Orlando. This could have been viewed as a demotion, given that he was sharing a Santa Cruz roster with many players earning monthly G League wages of around $7,500.
At the bubble, Poole — considered a catch-and-shoot specialist coming out of college — served as one of Santa Cruz’s primary playmakers. His per-game averages of 22.4 points, 3.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds suggested he could handle consistent playing team at a higher level. Though he shot just 32.5% from 3-point range and committed a team-high 48 turnovers, Poole excelled at dictating the tempo and attacking the rim.
By the time Golden State recalled him from the G League two weeks ago, head coach Steve Kerr knew he wanted to see how Poole looked in a featured role on the second unit. What Kerr quickly discovered was that the strides Poole made with Santa Cruz — more efficient movements, sounder defensive rotations, better shot selection — could translate to the NBA.
Twice in the past five outings, he has scored at least 23 points. Kerr has gone so far as to say that he feels comfortable playing Poole down the stretch of close games.
“As long as he makes his decision quickly — and doesn’t mess around with the ball — then he has the license to go,” Kerr said of Poole, who is taking 49.2% of his shots without a single dribble since being recalled from the G League — a big improvement from the 27.8% such clip he posted last season. “He’s shifty. He can do some things that change the look of our team.”
This is a major development for the Warriors, whose uneven contributions from the second unit have been a significant reason they’re just 21-20 more than halfway through the season. Poole, who is set to earn $2.1 million in 2021-22 and has a team option for 2022-23, offers Golden State a budget acquisition whose play could outpace his salary.
Such bargains are paramount to the Warriors’ long-term outlook, given that they already have the biggest payroll in NBA history and have nearly $140 million tied up next season in four players: Green, Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. The question now is whether Poole’s recent surge was truly the breakthrough many believe it to be — not just another high point in an up-and-down NBA career.
“I’ve just worked so hard up until now that I feel like I’ve never lost momentum,” Poole said. “It was just a matter of time until it showed.”
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron
"term" - Google News
March 20, 2021 at 04:02AM
https://ift.tt/3c54xxo
How Jordan Poole’s recent breakthrough could change Warriors’ long-term outlook - San Francisco Chronicle
"term" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35lXs52
https://ift.tt/2L1ho5r
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "How Jordan Poole’s recent breakthrough could change Warriors’ long-term outlook - San Francisco Chronicle"
Post a Comment