It wasn’t a heavy concern but how Jordan Poole would adjust to his role as the sixth man is something the Golden State Warriors have been thinking about all season.
Fortunately, it appears the young guard is embracing his status as the first man off the bench.
The Golden State Warriors can rest assured that Jordan Poole will fulfill his duties as a spark plug in the second unit.
Selected late in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, the potential for Poole to become a microwave scorer was always there. He was a streaky shooter in college and posed the same threat at the NBA level.
All that Poole had left to do was… well, everything else. He had to grow as a ball-handler and a decision-maker during his first two seasons as his confidence soared and plummetted sporadically.
Through all of the trials and tribulations, Poole entered the 2021-22 NBA season as a new player. He was expected to be Stephen Curry’s sidekick until Klay Thompson could return — and he excelled as an honorary Splash Brother.
Now that Thompson is back, however, Poole has been repositioned to the bench, where he will likely make his biggest impact moving forward with the team. Since making the switch slightly prior to Klay’s return, Poole is averaging 14.7 points and 3.6 assists with a plus/minus of 4.8.
He still has his flaws. Poole can be erratic as a scorer and his 2.2 turnovers per game do not bode well for a team that has only one true playmaker at the moment due to Draymond Green being on the sideline.
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that once Klay hits his stride and Green makes his recovery, Poole will be asked to do what he does best — provide instant offense.
Poole has given us a strong enough sample size to believe in his prowess as a floor general for the second unit. Though he leaves some playmaking to be desired, his overall shot creation will be a net positive for Golden State.