In recent years, it seems that every season there has been a star player going downhill. We've seen the NBA's brightest stars take a break for months, sometimes years, due to serious injuries.
The Golden State Warriors are a classic example, as they almost lost any chance of reclaiming the championship because of curry and Klay's injuries, at least until they returned.
During these times, the Warriors know they're not ready to compete, so they use that time to develop new talent, or they won't get that opportunity if the team stays healthy. Jordan Poole was one of them, who was obscure before joining the Warriors, but he made the most of the opportunity to become famous in one fell swoop, and his future with the Warriors was also in doubt.
The rise of Jordan Poole and his non-traditional NBA career. Before the NBA, he played at the University of Michigan and was a prolific but low-key team member. He averaged 12.5 points per game. But what particularly interested the Warriors in him was that he looked like he had all the skills of a shooting guard, plus his work ethic. In 2019, the Warriors just finished the Finals and were eliminated. It was only selected at the end of the first round. Bob Myers said: "I think it's Jordan's work ethic that has made me a fan of his all the time." When you talk to a college coach, you see these intelligence reports, he's always the last person to go in the gym, he's always the first person to go to the gym, one of the best kids I've ever coached.
The Warriors are a team that is very analytical, and they have data showing that Poole is on the court more often than any other player. They use a tracking system to tell them which player shot the most in which area. He shoots more shots than anyone else in training. At that time, the Warriors needed who would replace Klay, and that was why he was chosen. In the months leading up to the 2019 draft, Clay suffered a severe torn anterior cruciate ligament in the final, and Durant also left the team. The Warriors know it's going to be bad this year. It's been a disastrous season, and what's worse at 15-50 is that Poole,8-pointer isn't good enough to make us think he'll be in the league longer. You can't imagine a rookie with the 28th pick replacing Klay Thompson.
Poole's former assistant coach has supported him as he entered the NBA, but he noticed that Poole didn't adapt well to the NBA. He's a bit tangled. He wanted to do too much. Don't know when and how to play. Mentioned earlier is that his work ethic drew the team to the Warriors, and he made amazing progress every offseason. Poole spends hours at the gym, inspiring him to succeed. When you are selected for a mature, well-managed team with countless people to respect.
Poole and a brother, they established a close friendship, many nights together to drive, chat together, eat together. On top of that, Poole has the advantage of being able to observe Learning Curry up close. Curry is the person Poole wants to be. Asked how much Curry influenced his playing style, Poole responded. No matter what I look at Curry, I feel like a fool. Looking at it up close is too different from on TV.
In his second season, he made significant progress, with Poole still on the bench and spending less time on the bench than he did in his rookie season. But his production increased. He's averaged 12 points per game this season and shoots more efficiently. Poole is showing off his three-pointer and all the offensive skills the Warriors had when they initially picked him. That progress continued into his third season, when he now averages more than 17 points per game, ranking third in scoring among the Warriors, and the Warriors' record is once again close to being the league's number one, with goal points for a championship.
By putting so much training into it, self-confidence comes with it, perhaps too much. Sometimes Poole isn't the kind of player who sits there and does anything with you. He is proactive in making his own decisions, creating his own way of scoring, and doing what he thinks is the best choice. This personality sometimes leads him to clash with his teammates. In a game in November, possession ended up leading to a mistake that angered Green. They started yelling at each other on the bench.
It is these moments that set Poole apart from most other young players. He questioned everything from certain tactics of Steve Kerr, to decisions about when to play, and even the choice of squad. Poole strives to learn more. He's not an emotional person. He was calm. Every time he challenged the convention, he used facts to prove it. In his argument with Green, he explained his thought process to Green. Poole showed all-Star potential. In the days following the altercation, he played several games with more than 30 points in a row. But there are times when he's a young player who averages seven or more three-pointers per game, but in terms of shooting percentage, he's only ninth in the Warriors. Poole's current contract is rookie-level and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Based on ESPN's Bobby Max salary projections, the value of Poole's current play is estimated at $18 million a year. Considering that the Warriors' current salary level is the highest in the entire league, at a whopping $178 million. I don't know how the Warriors will choose when the time comes. Unless poole has a huge jump next year. So he's been in the starting lineup since the start of the season, but when Clay returns, his place in the rotation is uncertain. But Poole doesn't mind because he still gets just as much playing time. However, low usage hinders his continued growth. As the playoffs approach, everyone on the team knows this. Thompson's return will limit Poole's playing time.
Poole sat on the bench and was confident enough in his technique not to let it bother him. Then use this as motivation to prove he's worth playing. Moving on to see how his career has developed from here, whether at golden state or on other teams, it will be an interesting thing to do. Despite these problems, one thing is clear. Jordan Poole went from being an no-name to a potential front-line star in the league, in front of one of the biggest fan bases in sports, warriors.