The Golden State Warriors have been absolutely phenomenal through their first three postseason games, having beaten the Denver Nuggets by 5 or more in each performance. The Dubs have taken a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Golden State has been able to get contributions from a plethora of players including Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr., but none have been more surprising than what third-year guard Jordan Poole has been able to do.
The Golden State Warriors have defeated the Denver Nuggets three straight times, and Jordan Poole has played an instrumental part in their success.
Poole’s scoring was never in question. Down the stretch of the season, fans watched him average 26 points per game. He’s that good, but the question entering the postseason is if his old enemy, inefficiency, would strike again.
The former Michigan Wolverines standout turned Warriors first-round pick scored a game-high 30 points on 9-for-13 from the field and 5-for-7 from deep. He followed that up with 29 on 10-for-16 and 5-for-10 shooting.
Last night, he went for 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting and 3-for-5 from deep. He’s averaging the 7th-most points per game, above players like Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Brandon Ingram, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
It seems repetitive to say, but Poole has been that guy. His work ethic has been on full display as he’s taken his game to the next level, but it truly is all about his efficiency and how much he’s been able to do with so few attempts from the field.
Poole’s maturity has helped him create shots and then also cash in on more difficult attempts. He has the second-best true shooting percentage of the 43 players averaging over 15 points per game (the No. 1 TS% of players to average over 20 points per game) in the postseason.
That’s something most didn’t think would ever be said of Poole, especially after his first two seasons in the league and numerous stints with the team’s G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Poole’s efficiency his rookie brought doubt, and it was for good reason. He shot 33% from the field and 28% from downtown. He’s increased both of those tremendously, shooting 45% and 36% on the season this year.
The playoffs have been where the 22-year-old has really started to shine, and from reports about his work ethic, it shouldn’t be a shocker that he’s starting to make a name for himself on basketball’s brightest stage.