THE POOLE PARTY CONTINUES!
Jordan Poole balled out in the Golden State Warriors’ big win over the Philadelphia 76ers last night, scoring 33 points off the bench on 10-of-19 shooting from the field and knocking down 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc. He also had only one turnover, which should help change the narrative that’s been surrounding him this year as a careless ballhandler.
Poole has been on the business end of some harsh criticism this season for being one of hte league leaders in turnovers. This is quite a departure from how the 23-year old guard was viewed in the postseason last year, when he balled out of control and helped the Golden State Warriors take the first title of the post-Kevin Durant era.
Per @EliasSports, Jordan Poole is the 16th player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in his first three career playoff games, and is only the second Warrior ever to do so, joining Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 (first five games).
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 22, 2022
Anytime your name is mentioned next to Wilt Freakin’ Chamberlain, you’re REALLY hooping.
“You’re talking a guy who was on the third team All-G League last year, has been our No. 1 option in this playoffs,” Draymond Green said during the first round of last year’s playoffs. “The way he’s playing, he’s gained the trust of everyone on the team, he’s gained the trust of Coach Kerr, and he’s gained fear from everybody else.”
Brad Botkin of CBS Sports gushed about Poole’s dominant performance during that same time:
“On nights like Monday, when the Big 3 are rolling, Poole going for 29 of his own points, throwing 3-point darts from all over the court and smoking defenders off the dribble, becomes an embarrassment of riches, and the Warriors might be unbeatable,” Botkin wrote. “But it’s the nights when Curry and Klay don’t have it going, when the defense is up against, say, the Phoenix Suns offense and not the very limited Nuggets, when Poole will go from luxury to necessity.
“Right now, Poole is bordering on indefensible. He can create whatever shot he wants for himself, and he’s also totally in tune with Golden State’s read-and-react movement.”
That’s why some of the commentary on Poole this season has been interesting to keep track of, as his struggles with turnovers have created a visceral reaction throughout Dub Nation.
Jordan Poole with another late game turnover. He now leads the NBA in turnovers this season with 135 pic.twitter.com/p3VDkThDJ6
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) January 5, 2023
Steve Kerr gave an interesting perspective on Jordan Poole’s turnover struggles pic.twitter.com/Pb0JxW87pJ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 6, 2023
Jordan Poole is not having a good season, and that’s part of the reason the team is struggling. Poole’s poor play can be traced back to that fateful incident last October when his teammate Draymond Green punched him in the face and sealed the team’s fate.https://t.co/y753nNg0lu
— The Shadow League (@ShadowLeague) March 24, 2023
My Dub Nation HQ piece, “How concerned are you by Jordan Poole’s turnovers?” back in January encapsulated how the fans weren’t very pleased by his play but hopeful for the future. Their faith has been rewarded recently, as he’s been putting up some quality performances in GSW’s title defense.
Jordan Poole’s improved playmaking during the Warriors 3 game winning streak
17 assists
3 turnovers pic.twitter.com/RWnOtpnSDY— Alex (@Dubs408) March 25, 2023
When Jordan Poole slows down, let’s the game come to him and stops forcing it – he’s electric! You just gotta slow down, read the defense and make the right play. #dubnation pic.twitter.com/LGpmxOG4El
— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) March 25, 2023
Keep up the great work, JP!