Golden State Warriors: What is Jordan Poole’s ceiling?

Jordan Poole has exceeded expectations and is shaping up to be one of the brightest, yet underrated stars in the entire NBA. How high can Poole fly for the Golden State Warriors?

The Golden State Warriors should be excited about Jordan Poole’s potential to continue growing as an All-Star caliber player.

There are two components to this question. First, just how good can Poole become? Then, is it possible Poole can reach his ceiling playing behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson?

Poole has gotten better each season and is truly hitting his stride as a scorer over the last month of basketball. He’s averaging 25.6  points and 4.9 assists on 50.5% 3-point shooting and 54.5% shooting from the floor over his last 11 games.

At 22 years of age and already wrapping up his third NBA season, Poole has given us a big enough sample size to understand his strengths and weaknesses while also being young enough to potentially round out his all-around game and become a star.

Poole’s bread and butter are in the scoring department. He is Curry-esque in his unforgiving pursuit of getting an open look and he’s matched many of Curry’s off-ball tendencies. On the ball, he is just as deadly, showcasing a wide range of dribble moves and finishes around the rim.

His only problem has been consistency. He’s a spotty shooter and decision-maker who can fall into ruts. This is an area Poole will need to smoothen before he really breaks into “All-Star” conversations.

As for the other side of the floor, Poole has gone from one of the league’s worst defenders to… well, respectable? He has good size and length on the wing and can be a threat as a help defender. However, he isn’t always in the right spot and he hasn’t developed the tenacity to be a vicious on-ball defender just yet.

Ramping it up on the defensive end and finding a consistent groove on offense will be the two determining factors in if Poole continues being a sixth man or can break out as a genuine star caliber player.

This begs the question, can Poole accomplish all of this with the Warriors?

The short answer is yes. Golden State has proven to be fairly decent at developing young players, after all. And, if any franchise was going to help Poole reach his full potential, it would likely be the one with numerous Hall of Fame mentors to guide him.

Nevertheless, Poole will have to play behind both of the Splash Brothers AND potentially start sharing the backup guard role with another promising guard in Moses Moody. This cluttered rotation will pose a challenge for Poole.

Still, there is space for Poole to flourish despite the Warriors’ depth. He is proving himself as a worthy substitute for the Splash Brothers as they increase in age and need more rest. What’s more, he seems to fair well alongside them in closing time.

A trio of Poole, Curry and Thompson could have long-term success before Poole eventually carries the torch for the next generation.