A lot happened during the Golden State Warriors 2020-21 campaign, which saw the club post a 39-33 record and miss the playoffs — despite an MVP-type season from superstar guard Stephen Curry.
One of the largest developments — on the positive side of the ledger, anyway — was the emergence of G Jordan Poole. Suddenly, the late first-round pick from last season appears to have been a phenomenal choice by general manager Bob Myers and the front office.
Poole started slowly his rookie year, looking lost in the process. A pair of stints in the G-League looks to have done him well, however, and his confidence is impacting his play in a big way. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said recently that he’s a 6th-man candidate for next season and Kerr doubled down after his club lost to the Grizzlies, ending its season.
For a franchise seemingly grasping at straws to compile a high-powered roster to fit around Curry for a championship run next season, the importance of Poole’s improvement is hard to overstate. Golden State doesn’t have to acquire a versitle swing guard that is instant offense off the bench, it already has one — one that’s affordable, too.
Poole’s season ended with a 12 points per game average on 43 percent shooting overall from the field. That percentage isn’t spectacular, but it’s a sizable improvement from last year when the Michigan product shot 33 percent. All signs point to his game improving even more, and Kerr is ready to see his young guard blossom.
(Photo credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports)
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