Jordan Poole's 2021-22 NBA pre-season stats: Can the Golden State Warriors rising star aim for the sky in the upcoming season?
As the Golden State Warriors prepare for the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, there are going to be plenty of questions surrounding the team. Fans will be paying close attention to the return of sharpshooting star Klay Thompson. Second-year big man James Wiseman is also going to have some buzz, as Warriors fans will hope the 20-year-old big man is ready to take the next step in his development for the organization. But there's one player who is quickly becoming one of the more surprising stories around the franchise.
Jordan Poole was selected 28th in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. The former Michigan product was known for his offensive upside, as Poole had the potential to score at multiple levels during his time in college. When the Warriors selected Poole, the realistic hope was that the offensive-minded guard could become a nice rotation piece as part of the Warriors roster depth. During his rookie year with the team, Poole struggled with his consistency as he finished the year averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting just 27.9% from three. During the second half of last season, Poole started to show some intriguing flashes of his talent that made him a previous first round selection. There was some hope that maybe Poole could finally start to break out of his shell and become an asset for this Golden State roster.
Shining in The Preseason
As the Warriors progressed throughout their training camp, the buzz around Jordan Poole continued to build. Teammates and coaches applauded Poole for the amount of work he had continued to put in over the offseason. Even head coach Steve Kerr has talked about how impressive Poole was over his camp.
"It doesn't matter who's out there, he's gonna let it fly, which I love" Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "His confidence is overflowing, so it's good stuff. He's had a great camp, just like we expected."
Success didn't stop there either, as Jordan Poole hit the ground running with his play during the preseason. In five preseason games, Poole went on to average 21.8 points per game while shooting 50.6% from the field. It's an eye-opening development for this Warriors team, as Poole now looks like someone who could potentially turn into a serious weapon for the rotation moving forward. With the team expecting Klay Thompson to be out until January, there has been a need to find someone who could step up and start in the backcourt alongside Stephen Curry. It looks as if Poole has become the favorite to earn that starting spot, as his offensive game and confidence have been surging as of late.
Jordan Poole was in his bag 😯 https://t.co/PhKk9lV9ck
It's been a remarkable development for the Golden State Warriors franchise and Jordan Poole. For a player who struggled to find his role with this team, Poole now looks like he could potentially become an important piece of the puzzle moving forward. What's been the most notable part of the quick rise with Poole has been his effectiveness on the offensive side of the ball. For a player who struggled early on during his career when it came to shot selection, Poole now looks like a player who understands his role. His confidence is overflowing right now, as it looks as if the game has finally started to slow down for him. Poole's work ethic hasn't gone unnoticed either, as key veterans such as Draymond Green have gone on to applaud the 22-year-old for the amount of hard work he's been putting forth during the offseason. If his impressive play from the preseason can carry over to the regular season, Golden State will have a new weapon that can continue to improve an already dangerous offense.