Look, I would have just named this post “Poole Party” and be done with it, but hey, it’s nearing gobble-gobble (scientific terminology) time and I figure if I add the word “Thanksgiving” the SEO gods will smile upon us mere mortals and conversion rates will rain down from the sky. But enough about online marketing, we’re not here for that. I mean, *we* are, but you’re not, so let’s move from the turkey day (andanotherone.gif) part of the title to the “Poole Party” part, which is either a really fantastic pun or the ye olde English way of inviting you to my pool party. Which one could it be I ask? If you picked the Jordan Poole pun, you win! I mean, the prize is just you joining me after the jump for more Jordan Poole content, but some would say that the real destination is the friends we made along the way. Be my friend…
So pool puns aside (there are dozens of them, dozens!), the emergence of Jordan Poole has not gone unnoticed, especially after last night’s performance against the Raptors, as Poole (along with Andrew Wiggins) scored 30+ points with 33 on 10-for-13 shooting and eight (eight!) 3-pointers. Mind you, this was Poole’s third consecutive game in a row that he’s scored 30 or more points in, the only Warriors player to achieve this besides Steph Curry and D’Angelo Russell the past four seasons.
Standing at 6’5″, this Michigan guard was graded high for his long-range jump shot, quickness, ball-handling and passing. Sounds familiar if you’re a Warriors fan, right? Part of the 2019 Draft Class and selected late in the first round, he had always shown the ability to create for himself and others. Some of the knocks were consistency and a propensity for turnovers, and I personally think he could build a bit more strength, but am willing to state that his 6’6″+ wingspan helps, along with the fact that I’m not a professional NBA scout. But let’s be clear, his shot has never really been questioned, and as his bread and butter skill (why not toast that?) that will always keep him in the conversation for good-value guards. Basically, he’s a scorer and has the potential to be a constant contributor all the way to even a prolific shooter on the high-end.
But there are some other factors to consider with Poole, which is why I guess we’re here having fun. YOU’RE HAVING FUN AREN’T YOU. So as everyone knows, you need minutes to score, and despite that titillating revelation, these minutes might not always be there. (Bonus points for using the word “titillating”.) While technically right now I, myself, and others would consider him a “sixth man” in shape and function, this might organically just be where he ends up long-term no matter what with the impending (one of these days, weeks, years) return of Klay Thompson. That of course depends on its on set of factors (so many factors, so little time), but even if the Warriors take it slow and steady with Klay, this is a seesaw that will be mostly be tied with Poole the rest of the season upon Thompson’s return.
And Klay’s return may not even loom large due to the fact that Poole’s recent performances are kinda a self-fulfilling prophecy in-of-itself, showing that the so far dominant team record was built not on the backs of Steph and Klay, but that of Poole and in a lot of cases, Wiggins.
During a recent post-game interview, Poole even revealed how the team views his impact and playing time.
“Just teaching me stuff that we need for the playoffs as opposed to game 14 or game 15, coach just told me last game that he isn’t coaching me for now, he is coaching me for the when the playoffs come and when the finals come, so I think we all have a pretty clear view of what we want to do and what we need to do to get there…” Poole told Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike.
So what he’s doing right now is exactly what was expected of him since he was a Wolverine. The only real question marks we’ve addressed amount to his physical limits, which to be quite honest, aren’t really showing as limits right now. True, Poole and the Warriors system will have to react to adjustments and whatnot, but everything is working and as mentioned, it has a lot to do with Poole showing he has no limits. And of course, the other concern would be how this roster looks now and with the return of Klay Thompson. But I’m not concerned, as we go deeper into the season, there will be plenty of times when Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are out of the lineup, and Golden State seems eager to see what this Poole party looks like.
See, tied it all together right in the end for you. You’re welcome. Oh wait, it’s Thanksgiving. So I’m thanking me for giving you this. That’s how this works, right?
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell. You can follow him on Twitter @jaywrong.
