Recently, the Jingzhou Warriors, who had won five consecutive games, suffered three consecutive losses after the return of their star player Stephen Curry. During this period, Curry's performance was impeccable. Therefore, the media pointed the finger at Jordan Poole, who made 12 of 33 shots in two games and averaged only 14.3 points per game. After all, Poole averaged 22.2 points per game when he started in the previous five-game winning streak. This season, Poole's performance as a substitute is indeed different from that of the starter. Looking at the performance throughout the season, Poole's 42.7% shooting percentage, 32.5% three-point shooting percentage and 3.2 turnovers per game are hardly satisfactory. People can't help but ask what happened to the Warriors' rising star now? To find out the answer to this question, we need to start from when Poole entered the league.
Poole was born in the prestigious University of Michigan. Although he did not get many playing opportunities during his freshman year, he had an explosion in his sophomore season, averaging 12.1 points per game and having a highlight moment in the game against the University of Houston. With only 3.6 seconds left, Michigan was 2 points behind and kicked off from the backcourt. Under the opponent's full-court pressure, his teammates dumped the blame on Poole outside the 45-degree three-point line at the last moment. Unexpectedly, Poole, who received the ball, shot with a weird posture and made an incredible buzzer-beating shot. This battle also became Poole's famous battle. He recalled afterwards: "That buzzer-beating shot changed my life." After the end of his sophomore season, he was selected by the Warriors with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2019 draft. The 19-20 season coincided with the Warriors' eventful years. Two FMVP players KD and Iguodala both left the team, Klay had already been reimbursed, and Curry was also declared reimbursed after playing 5 games. The Warriors eventually ranked last in the league. Poole played mainly as a substitute that season, averaging only 8.8 points per game. His shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage were embarrassing 33.3% and 27.9% respectively. No matter what kind of player, he will have a very high exposure in a dynasty team like the Warriors. Poole's performance naturally caused a lot of criticism from the media. The remarks that he was not suitable for the NBA were overwhelming for a while, and he was once relegated to the G League. However, through his excellent performance in the G League, he returned to the NBA as he wished. This experience has greatly improved his mental and physical fitness, and laid the foundation for future progress. Poole, who returned to the NBA, played a brilliant performance at the end of his sophomore year. In the game against Daigo on May 15, 2021, he scored 38 points to break his personal career scoring record. Last season, Poole's performance was remarkable. He participated in 76 regular season games, including 51 games as a starter, averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Compared with his rookie season, his statistics almost doubled. His field goal percentage reached 44.8%, and his three-point shooting percentage was 36.4%, both of which were significantly improved. His free throw shooting percentage was as high as 92.5%, even surpassing Curry and ranking first in the league. In the playoffs, his performance was also outstanding, averaging 17.0 points per game, second only to Curry and Clay, and eventually helped the team win the championship. This young player, although still young, has become an important member of the dynasty team. However, everything is not rosy, and some dangerous seeds have been quietly planted.
Although the Warriors eventually won the championship, Poole and Draman Green had a heated argument during a timeout in a game against the Timberwolves at the beginning of the season. After the game, a reporter revealed that Green was dissatisfied with Poole for not running at full speed during a defense, which led to a situation where his team was outnumbered. Although the incident was quickly calmed down, it also caused a small rift in the Warriors.
Before the start of this season, Green and Poole staged another farce. It was a regular training in early October. Poole and Green had an argument, and then Poole pushed Green. Unexpectedly, Green came to his senses and immediately punched Poole, and Poole fell to the ground. It can be clearly seen that Green's punch was not a joke between teammates, but a real heavy punch. No one knows what caused Green's sudden anger, and there are various speculations. Afterwards, Green also apologized for his actions, and the storm gradually subsided again.
About 10 days later, the Warriors officially announced that they had signed a 4-year, $140 million contract with Poole. It seems that after this blow, Poole is gradually heading for the peak of his life. However, after the start of the new season, his performance is really hard to describe. First of all, it is undeniable that his average points per game has exceeded 20 points for the first time in his career, and he has averaged 20.7 points per game so far. However, his three shooting percentages have all declined to varying degrees, while the number of turnovers has increased dramatically. Poole, who averaged only 1.3 turnovers per game in his rookie season, now has an average of 3.2 turnovers per game. For him now, averaging 5 or more turnovers per game has become commonplace. What is even more outrageous is that he has averaged 33.1 minutes and 24.4 points in the 42 games he has started so far this season. In the 24 games he played as a substitute, Poole's average playing time per game dropped sharply to 27.1 minutes, and his score also dropped to 14.6 points. His performance in the game was obviously not as motivated and positive as when he was a starter. He scored more than 40 points twice this season, including a career-high 43 points, both while in the starting lineup. When he came off the bench, his attitude seemed more relaxed, especially in two games in November when he only scored 2 points, which was particularly evident during his two consecutive losses. It seems that Pool is two different people when he starts and when he comes off the bench. What is the reason for this huge difference?
First, analyze Pool's personal skills and playing style characteristics. Before the draft, he was known for his ability to penetrate, shoot and make three-pointers, but his defensive ability was mediocre and his shot selection was sometimes unreasonable. After four years of training in the league, his ability to score at the basket after breakthroughs has improved significantly. Within the Warriors, he is second to none in terms of impact and ability to draw fouls. Since the Warriors' starting lineup was carefully constructed by Curl and has a mature tactical system, even if Pool is not as efficient as Curry, he can replace most of Curry's functions on the offensive end and act as a low-end version of Curry. In Curry's absence, he can fill the vacancy as a starter, maintain the operation of the Warriors' tactical system, and his personal performance is also quite good. This is also the reason why the Warriors management decided to use a large contract to retain Pool. After all, the 34-year-old Curry will retire sooner or later. If Pool is let go, the Warriors' offensive system may collapse after Curry retires.
However, if he is fixed on the bench and expected to play the role of a super sixth man, it is almost impossible to achieve. Because the second lineup is relatively weak, the most needed ability of a super sixth man is to fight alone, and Pool is not a master of singles like Katie, who is proficient in all kinds of skills. His singles ability and control ability are far from elite level. This makes him unable to stand up as a sixth man on the bench like Jamal Crawford, Eric Gordon and Louis Williams, so his performance is mediocre when he plays as a substitute.
In addition, Pool, who is a low-profile version of Curry, has gradually revealed other problems as the season progresses. For example, his running is very lazy, which is far from the active running Curry. Curry's off-ball ability is top-notch in NBA history, while Pool's playing style is more sticky. At the same time, he has inherited some of Curry's weaknesses, such as poor defensive awareness, attitude and basic skills. As early as last season's playoffs, his defensive flaws were infinitely magnified by opponents, and he even became the main target of attack in the opponent's tactics. In addition, Pool's mentality is also questionable. As a young player born in 1999, he was originally regarded as the future leader of the team. However, after showing outstanding performance and winning the championship with the team, he is more eager to consolidate his starting position. But being frequently replaced has caused his mentality to fluctuate, resulting in his lack of enthusiasm when he comes off the bench. Perhaps he could still maintain a humble attitude when he was demoted to the G League during his first and second years, but now that he has signed a big contract, it is difficult for him to have the mentality of being willing to be a substitute. At the same time, his relationship with his teammates, especially with veteran player Green, does not seem to be harmonious. Following the on-court dispute last season and the conflict before the start of this season, Pool did not pass the ball to Green, who had already cut to the position, in the game against the Thunder on March 8, causing the latter to leave the court angrily and give up defense. Skip, a well-known basketball commentator, bluntly pointed out that Green's conflict incident is still affecting the team and that there are problems with the Warriors' team culture. Many fans believe that Pool seems unwilling to be a substitute, and even somewhat out of the team, unwilling to make sacrifices for the team, and has become a cancer for the team. Although reporters and the media have not yet revealed the news of Pool's trade, some fans have been discussing the possibility of this matter and discussing whether he may become the core of a weak team. So, will Pool really be traded? Regardless of whether he leaves the team or not, what aspects does he need to improve? It must be admitted that Pool is not an instant player. Although he has a wide range, his actual shooting ability and mid-quarter ability after confrontation are far from excellent, and it is difficult for him to make a final decision at a critical moment. In addition, due to his average ability to attack with the ball, it is difficult for him to become a core with the ball. Data shows that in the 2,065 minutes of games so far this season, he has 63 turnovers with the ball, an average of one every 32.78 minutes. In contrast, Curry has 1,415 minutes and 21 turnovers with the ball, an average of one every 67.38 minutes. You know, the defensive pressure Pool faces is nothing compared to Curry. At the same time, he is not a good organizer. Compared with mobilizing teammates, he prefers and is more suitable for himself in the middle of the quarter.
In the summer of 2012, the Rockets traded for Harden, the best sixth man with excellent ball handling and organization, without hesitation, and handed over the position of team leader and tactical core. However, facing Pool today, it is difficult for the best teams in the league to have the same courage as the Rockets back then. Of course, if there is a team that is willing to give Pool a core and sufficient tactical position and successfully take him away, then it is conceivable that Pool's data will not be too bad. But whether he can win the game is a big question mark. In addition, Pool is relatively thin and has deficiencies in mid-range and long-range shooting and lob techniques. These factors determine that even if he can stably play a starting role in a weaker team, he is very likely to face the risk of being replaced due to the improvement of the team's overall performance. If he chooses to stay with the Golden State Warriors, the first task is to adjust his personal mentality. He must abandon the negative emotions when he comes off the bench and avoid blindly shooting when more efficient scorers such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are on the court. Whether as a starter or a substitute, Pool should demonstrate a high degree of professionalism, strengthen his sense of cooperation with his teammates, and pay more attention to his teammates' running and escape movements. At the same time, it is also a top priority to improve his personal defensive ability to above the average level of guards. Take James Harden as an example. When he first joined the Houston Rockets, he was questioned by the media for his defensive attitude, but now he has successfully restricted top attackers such as Giannis Antetokounmpo. Therefore, for Pool, it may be most appropriate to play an off-ball attacker who occasionally controls the ball without dragging down the team's defense. Although he has achieved many achievements including the championship, there are still many aspects that need further learning and improvement. Only by constantly making up for his own shortcomings can he continue to lead the Warriors forward after the retirement of meritorious players such as Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green in the future.