Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole needs to be great offensively
By Tony Pesta
There is no working around it, Jordan Poole needs to be a dazzling offensive player if he wants to play meaningful minutes for the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Game 1 showed us many things. Most notably, the Boston Celtics can win a game on the road even with Jayson Tatum playing below expectations.
Perhaps more concerning for the Warriors is Poole’s impact. He was a non-factor on offense and quickly became a detriment on defense. As a result, JP played just 25 minutes, his third-fewest of the postseason.
Poole has grown leaps and bounds since his rookie season. He’s no longer the league-worst defender and frustratingly inconsistent shooter he once was.
Still, Poole can fall victim to some careless shot attempts and defensive lapses. In his first finals game, Poole shot just 2-of-7 for 9 points and was a minus-19.
If Jordan Poole wants to play significant minutes in the NBA Finals, he’ll need to be a great scorer and playmaker for the Golden State Warriors.
Here’s the deal — with two skilled, taller scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics can target Poole relentlessly.
This means in order for Poole to remain a positive factor, his offensive output needs to outweigh his defensive inefficiencies.
There are two ways he can do this. Either hold his own defensively and play average on offense — or be a brilliant scorer and playmaker while being his usual self on defense.
I’d say the latter is a more likely scenario. Poole won’t become an elite defender overnight and the Warriors will ensure he is avoiding too many one-on-one scenarios against Tatum, Brown or even Marcus Smart.
On the other side, Poole will concoct many opportunities to take Al Horford, Robert Williams and Grant Williams off the dribble. He did so in Game 1, just not with much success. Blame it on a few missed shots and give credit where it’s due to Boston’s defense.
This could turn around if the Warriors stick to the game plan.
Poole is a volume scorer and gifted passer when he’s rolling. That’s the key, he just needs a little confidence. Poole has had seven games of 20+ points this postseason with his team going undefeated.
A little bit of magic from their sixth man could help the Dubs win this series. In fact, it might be needed.