Jordan Poole and Damion Lee have arrived
Okay, we lied. There are four players who belong on this list (and truthfully even more. But, since both Damion Lee and Jordan Poole have had limited NBA experience, it feels right to lump them together.
At 22 years of age, Poole is only in his third season. And, it feels likely this is only the start of a long, productive career for JP. For now, he is emerging as the Dubs’ third-leading scorer and is so important to the rotation that either he or Stephen Curry are on the floor at virtually all times.
Poole’s growth as a playmaker has made him invaluable. He offers a secondary ball-handling dynamic next to Curry that has kept the Warriors’ offense fresh each night and will allow Klay Thompson to ease his way back into the lineup.
Meanwhile, Lee is cooling down a bit from a scorching start to the season. He opened up the first six games by knocking down 15-of-30 attempts from the 3-point line. Since then, Lee has shot 2-15 from deep (13 percent). This cold spell has caused his efficiency to plummet back to the mid-30s, which is about on par with the 2019-20 NBA season when he averaged a career-high 12.7 points per game.
So, what makes this season better for Lee? Similar to Wiggins, he is playing winning basketball. Lee has become a trustworthy 3-point shooter who seamlessly fits on both ends of the floor for Golden State.