Blue Man Hoop
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The Warriors have players in nearly every award race this season

By Casey Foreman

Nov 24, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) raises his hands next to forward Andrew Wiggins (22), forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 24, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) raises his hands next to forward Andrew Wiggins (22), forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Warriors player for Most Improved Player: Jordan Poole

After a full offseason of training with his teammate Klay Thompson and two seasons of bouncing back-and-forth between the NBA and the G-League, Jordan Poole has emerged.

He has been the x-factor for this Warriors team so far this season by going from 10 points per game in his first two years, to 17.4 points this season. He is also shooting a very efficient clip from the free-throw line, right at 89%.

The improvements aren’t just visible in the box score for Poole. When watching him play, you can see how refined his game has become in comparison to last season. He’s making the right play and is knocking down shots of high difficulty.

Poole’s confidence has also increased, he has been taking shots from all over the court and at a much higher clip. He averaged about nine shots per game last season, so far this year, he has taken 13.6 shots per game. Some of that is also because of Steve Kerr giving him the green light, and rightfully so.

Most importantly, he has been able to take some of the offensive workload from Steph and provide a much-needed ball handler for the second unit. Consistency from both of those areas has been an issue for Golden State since the departure of players like Kevin Durant and Shaun Livingston.

Poole should not be considered a lock to win the award, other candidates like Ja Morant and Miles Bridges have made quite a case for themselves.

The increase in Morant’s confidence and consistency has been obvious and at one point he was leading the league in points in the paint. Bridges has jumped from 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year, to 19.6 points and 7.2 rebounds so far this season.

It is also possible that Poole has a decrease in productivity with the recent return of Klay Thompson and his role shifting to sixth man. However, this could mean entering his name in yet another award conversation, like the 6th Man of the Year.

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