Golden State Warriors: 3 Underdogs who are shattering expecations

Jordan Poole

The 2021-22 NBA season was supposed to be a breakout year for Jordan Poole. The Golden State Warriors needed him to fill in for Klay Thompson and be a good enough creator to stagger minutes next to Stephen Curry. All of this, plus massive improvements to his game, led Poole to be one of the favorites for the Most Improved Player Award.

It all started well. Poole had a fiery preseason and despite a lackluster opening game against Los Angeles, it was his second half flurry that led the Warriors to a victory over the Lakers. After that, however, Poole’s hot streak was snuffed out.

Since opening night, Poole shot 5-of-26 (19.2 percent) from the 3-point line and averaged just 12.8 points. He coughed the ball up 3.2 times per game and was generally erratic, making some bold decisions that backfired frequently.

But, if Poole has shown anything in three years, it is that he does not give up easily. This cold streak would not last and Poole finally broke free against the Charlotte Hornets by scoring 31 points and nailing 7-of-16 deep attempts.

The season is not over for Poole and he has plenty to learn as a primary ball-handler when Curry is on the bench. Nonetheless, his explosion against Charlotte showed us that Poole is going to figure this thing out, one way or another.