In the latest chapter of Jordan Poole’s ongoing breakout into NBA stardom, the third-year offensive talent made a statement on opening night to show the Golden State Warriors his streaky shooting is here to stay.
Poole’s rise to fame has been chronicled over the last two seasons. A tiny glimmer of hope was flashed at the end of his otherwise trainwreck of a rookie season while the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine through during his sophomore stint. Now, that spotlight is beaming straight at the rest of the league as if to say “I’m here now.”
Jordan Poole has arrived for the Golden State Warriors and his 2021-22 NBA season debut showed the world what is to come.
This is the first time in Poole’s NBA career that he began the season as a solidified starter. For a player who has struggled with confidence, this had to have been a boost to his morale. As if it was needed, however, as Poole has been blazing hot from the floor since the preseason. Poole scored 93 points in 88 minutes of preseason play.
His off-the-charts performances in early October — combined with some lightning-quick development in the back half of his sophomore season — landed Poole as one of the top candidates to break out this season.
With his confidence soaring just as high as his expectations, how did Poole fair in his opening game against the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, it could have started better. Poole began the game 3-for-11 from the field with two turnovers and a pair of fouls.
Then, just as we have seen Stephen Curry do so many times in the past, Poole drilled a tough pull-up 3-pointer and suddenly it was off to the races.
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Poole scored 13 quick points during a run by the Warriors to claim the lead late in the game. He shot 5-for-7 during this run including three triples and a dazzling move to the rim followed by a scoop finish.
There is no way the Dubs pulled out this victory without Poole’s second half eruption. He finished as the team’s second-leading scoring with 20 points and further proved his worth as a Most Improved candidate.