Warriors assistant coach Chris De Marco has a memo on a page dedicated to the team's stars who stood out in this year's regular season and is also reserved for one of the team's most important players, Jordan Poole. This page has remained since Poole was selected in 2019. Above, you'll see the Warriors' guiding principles for the development of this young man, The Poole and De Marco's partnership program, and the series of issues Poole faces. In Poole's rookie season, his number one question was: What should I do to get on the court? Last season, Poole's number one question was: How do I stay on the pitch? This season, the question becomes: What do I have to do to continue to make an impact in the playoffs? So far, Poole has answered all of these questions perfectly.
These things are not as simple as we write in words. In his rookie season, Poole averaged 8.8 points per game in 22.4 minutes, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from three-point range, and as a Warriors first-round picked to strengthen their talent in the backcourt, Poole didn't seem to be doing anything well. Poole also knew the criticism of him. "I know everything they say about me — bad shots, no passing, no dribbling, I don't worry about that. Because I know what I can do, it's just a matter of how I integrate my own style of play into the team, it takes some time, I know. ”
This season, Poole has made a qualitative leap in stats in all categories and has become a big part of the Warriors' "New Death Five." There is also less and less criticism of him from the outside world. In his first six games in the playoffs, Poole averaged 22.7 points per game in 33 minutes, shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from three-point range, making him playoff for the first time. In the first game of the series with the Grizzlies, Poole played 38 minutes off the bench and had 31 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, all four of which were the highest in the team. "I always want people to admit that they're wrong, I've never said anything about anyone on social media, I just shut up, accept everything, and let my performance speak for myself." Oh my God, that feels so good. Poole said.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of the NBA. Two weeks later, the league announced that players were allowed to go to the training gym for training while adhering to health and safety protocols. At this time, Poole immediately called De Marco. "All I know is that if I can go there every day, no matter how long the pandemic lasts, I know I can make progress in a lot of ways." The two trained in the Warriors' training gym, and no one else was with them. They can only use one ball and wear masks the whole time. De Marco polished Poole on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. Shooting practice is done every day, with a focus on faster shots. The pace should be faster, not only to be able to catch the ball and shoot, but also to be able to throw the ball in motion. Possession is another focus, as well as the ability to score under the basket, both hands to be able to finish, and the mid-range.
Over the course of these months, De Marco told Poole: "Sometimes it's just frustrating. There will be a time when you will always not score goals, but you need to continue to hone your skills. Sure enough, as De Marco said, Poole hit a low. At one point, he couldn't shoot at all for a week, but the two kept shooting inside the Warriors' training gym, constantly hearing the sound of iron hitting the basket and the sound of the shoes at Poole's feet rubbing against the floor, all echoing in this incredibly empty training gym. On one day, after Poole hit iron on eight consecutive shots, he had enough. Poole kicked the ball against the wall and then burst into a scolding, and the ball hit the wall, accompanied by the sound of "Fuck" in Poole's mouth. "That was the only way I could vent my frustration at the time. I think I trained very my own, but I couldn't shoot 8 times in a row? I don't know, it really upsets me. Especially when training, when no one is defending me, why can't I shoot? I really wanted to hit those balls and I couldn't do anything but kick them away. ”
But Poole could only keep voting. "It went on for 9 months, which is crazy. Usually we only have a two-month offseason, and that year we have an extra 7 months. "The 2020-21 season is about to start, and before the season starts, Poole and De Marco take a two-week break before returning to the team's training camp together. Poole's efforts paid off, and his stats that season were: 12 points per game, 43.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from three-point range. At one point in February 21, Poole was sent to the Development League, but he was able to get more playing time there. On 3/4/21, Poole returned to the team. Three weeks later, the Warriors sent off backup point guard Wernamaker before the trade deadline, followed by a wrist injury to the team's starting guard Oubre, and just like that, Poole's opportunity came.
In the last 36 games of the 21st season, Poole averaged 14.7 points per game, shooting 43.3% from the field, shooting 35.4% from three-point range, and a single-game performance of 38 points. So into season 22, the Warriors' problem came again. "We thought about having Poole come off the bench, but seeing his performance, we said no, he needed more playing time. Poole was omnipotent at training camp, igniting him in the first preseason game, and it was clear we had to keep this guy on the pitch. Warriors coach Kerr said. A week before the season opener, Kerr announced that Poole would be the Warriors' starting scoring guard for the new season. "I put in so much effort during the shutdown and when the opportunity came to me, I couldn't have been better prepared." Poole said.
Fast forward to March of this year, Curry injured his knee and suspended until the end of the regular season. In the late March away game against the Magic, Poole held the ball for halfway, and when he broke into the inside line, it attracted the attention of four defenders, so he passed the ball to Dream Green outside the three-point line, and then Poole used cover to come back to Green, hand over, and hit the three-point shot. Very classic Curry-Green-style fit. However, in the game against the Magic, the Warriors lost in shame. The next day, the Warriors challenged the Heat back-to-back to the East, and Both Thompson and Green took turns. Poole scored 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting, hit seven three-pointers, and had four rebounds and nine assists to lead the team to victory. "They put me under their wing, gave me confidence and guided me through the process. It's amazing. To be able to gain their trust, that's what I aspire to. Now when they play, they don't have to worry about me, they don't have to think about how to protect me. Go play your own basketball, we're going to fight hand in hand. ”
Poole said he had carefully studied Curry's game, as well as Thompson's. De Marco shows Poole the Footage, as well as other NBA players like Irving, Paul and Lillard. When Poole watched Curry's footage, he focused on learning how Curry runs without the ball. Curry saw his own shadow in Poole. "That's the essence of no ball." Curry said: "I can see in his reaction and consciousness what we often do, which is what I and Dream have done." He had learned how easy things would be if he and Dream had also established this chemistry. ”
Due to the injuries of Curry and Thompson, in the regular season, Poole's longest teammate was actually Dream Green. So when did Green start to realize that Poole could play that way? On March 11, the Warriors challenged the Nuggets on the road, and Poole scored 11 points in the final quarter, including two empty three-pointers, to help the Warriors seal the victory. "We need this victory and we need someone to stand up at that time and help us lock in the win. Curry and Clay are both on the court, but who played that role? It's Poole. Green said: "After this game, all of us have confidence in him. I didn't just go to Curry, I went looking for Clay. Keep punching Poole, he'll be a very, very, very important weapon for us. ”
Remember the questions that were raised at the beginning? Poole is asking for more now. "They used to ask Poole, how does the playoffs feel? And then there's, man, how did you perform on stage? But not now, because he has already passed that tipping point. Green said: "He has come in and will think, when this happens, what should I do, how should I deal with it?" If the opponent does this, how do I fight? The playoffs are a completely different game, like I know what they're going to do and I have to figure out for myself what I need to do. ”
Poole's first playoff game was like stepping onto the red carpet of basketball. He started for Curry, the team's core, and became the 16th in NBA history, a player who scored at least 25 points in each of the first three playoff games of his career. The three games totaled 86 points, the second-highest all-time high, behind Chamberlain's 106 points. "We know we have a chance, it's a special opportunity, and you definitely don't want to be the guy who screws it all up." Poole said. The return of the Warrior Dynasty is on his way to growth.