With the clock winding down in the first quarter, Jordan Poole called for a mid-court pass from Klay Thompson. Poole caught it 30 feet from the basket with an open lane to the paint. The lightning-quick guard attacked the rim, euro-stepping around Kevin Love to softly lay it in, off the glass with his left hand. It looked like a patented Poole possession.
A month ago, Poole might’ve halted for a final shot or swung it to an open teammate. Heck, he might have done it earlier this week. One game after Jordan Poole drew criticism for taking a season-low four shots, the 23-year-old got back to basics on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Playing 34 minutes, Poole showed more aggression and less hesitation than in the past two weeks. There was a visible decisiveness. Poole’s play in the Warriors' 106-101 win looked more like the 2021-22 version than what he’s put together this season.
Entering Friday night's contest, Poole’s assist percentage (24.2) was a career-best. So was his turnover percentage (18.3). He’s had the ball and been asked to distribute more than ever, now in his fourth season. So far, it’s affected the score-first mentality, which helped him earn a well-deserved (and compensated) contract extension before the season. On Friday, Poole sought his shot, keeping the Warriors afloat early with 10 of his 18 points coming in the second quarter.
Part of Poole’s success was not needing to be the primary ball-handler for much of his minutes. Steve Kerr explained before the game he planned for Poole to play with Donte DiVincenzo, who returned from a hamstring strain. Kerr also kept Poole in with Curry, who he thrived alongside last season, especially in the early rounds of the postseason. That dynamic of a second point-guard with Poole didn’t allow Cleveland to pressure him the way previous opponents had.
Draymond Green after the game referenced the “process” for Poole, figuring out how he can score when opponents have spent the entire summer studying him. Poole can’t dig out of that hole in one game but showed flashes that he’s on the right track. It was reassuring to see a bounce-back game against a Cavaliers team ranked third in defensive rating (107.5).
Though Poole was not nearly perfect, shooting 6-for-13 from the floor, he was efficient from deep, hitting 4-of-8 three-pointers. That’s an encouraging sign considering his three-point percentage had been at its worst since his rookie season. He hit two treys in the second quarter; one, a pull-up in transition and the other off a great screen set by Green. They slapped five on their way back down the court. Both makes were decisive, not forced. Even his misses were taken without procrastination.
Perhaps his sense of urgency was spurred by Stephen Curry, who dropped 40-points for a second-straight game. After the game, Curry commented on the scoring evolution that Poole is going through. “You’re not going to surprise anybody about what you do.” He said. “The more you can just keep the game simple as possible, trust that even if you’re getting extra attention, you can get off of it and get it back, the game will come around in your favor, but it’s just about getting the reps to understand what that feels like.”
Right now, Poole is still in need of reps. It’s why he remained on the court to shoot, 45 minutes after Monday night’s game. It’s the reason the perception around Poole is that he willl not be outworked. He wants to improve and, from the impatience we’ve seen at times this year, he wants to improve now. While that won’t happen, small victories like Friday night must be counted. It wasn’t the breakout game fans were hoping for. Poole could certainly look at his three turnovers and see room for improvement. But that big game is coming.
Having a backcourt mate on the second unit should relieve some pressure. Structure can be freeing. Poole arguably has not had enough of it thus far. Whether it’s alongside Curry, DiVincenzo, or another ball-handler, Poole will lock-in. He’s shown too much improvement to not break through his next glass ceiling. As electrifying a player as Poole is, it will be exciting to watch.
