What went wrong for Jordan Poole this season? Numbers tell the story of the Warriors guard's performances
Ever since the infamous incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole before the start of the 2022-23 season, things have gone awry for the Golden State Warriors.
Poole just hasn't looked the same as he did in the previous season. This has been highlighted by the Warriors' struggles on the road and their bench under-performing throughout the campaign.
Making matters worse is that after his exceptional playoff run last season, Jordan Poole was given a $140 million extension. However, he hasn't lived up to expectations, as his shooting numbers have dropped significantly.
Let's look at the differences between Poole's performances in both regular season and playoff games over the last two campaigns:
Jordan Poole's regular-season numbers give cause for mild concern
Jordan Poole had a steady year-on-year growth and was looking to explode playing with the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
He came second behind Ja Morant in the Most Improved Player category for the 2021 season and was awarded the best free-throw shooter (for having the league-best free-throw shooting percentage record at 92.5%). Along with this, Poole helped his team to a championship.
The 2022 season, however, saw a drop in some key statistical categories. Here's his numbers for the last two regular seasons:
As you can see, there has been a significant drop in some of his numbers and Poole has not looked quite himself this season. Golden State's secondary ball handler and the leading scorer off the bench has not really stepped up after having a stellar season in 2021-22.
Poole did impress when required, most notably when Steph Curry was injured, but his shooting percentage has dropped. He saw a dip in the regular season which was unexpected, but that was nothing compared to his playoff performances.
Jordan Poole's playoff numbers were truly underwhelming this season
Last season, Jordan Poole averaged 17 points per game on 50/39/92 shooting splits, leading the bench scoring for the Golden State Warriors. He was a key piece in their championship run, and had some terrific performances in the finals.
It was expected from Poole that he would bring in the same performances and help the Warriors in their title defense. However, Poole couldn't make an impact and he was way below his potential against the Sacramento Kings and the LA Lakers.
Here's how his numbers look:
It was clear that Poole struggled these playoffs, but he should have taken the responsibility in leading the team off the bench.
After the second round exit against the LA Lakers, the Golden State Warriors will head into a disappointingly early offseason. The Warriors and Poole will work together to figure out what needs to be done to do to get him back to his best, as they will need his peak form if they are to win the championship next season.