Golden State Warriors: How Jordan Poole stacks up to 2 third-year breakout guards

The Golden State Warriors drafted shooting guard Jordan Poole with their No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, immediately tossing him to the fire as a rotational player on a team that was destined for failure.

Head coach Steve Kerr even realized that the team was down with many injuries, and they had to put Poole out there immediately. As expected, Poole struggled and his efficiency was the most notable issue.

The Golden State Warriors saw Jordan Poole take a leap forward last season, and now he may be on the same trajectory as a few other of the league’s other stars.

Poole shot under 34 percent his rookie season. However, unlike players like Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, and many others, Poole’s numbers from that 15-win season to last season were drastically better, increasing his shooting to over 43 percent.

He also topped out at 12 points per game, dropping a career-high 38 points. He averaged over 22 points per 36 minutes. Poole’s decision-making looked much better, especially after he re-joined the team after a stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors.

As Klay Thompson remained sidelined, Poole stepped up and was that third scoring threat alongside Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry. His role may reduce this season, but that doesn’t mean his numbers could take a hit.

That said, let’s look at two other stars that have similar stories to Poole and see if he can reach their levels.