If Warriors general manager Bob Myers wants inspiration for the upcoming NBA Draft, not to mention an example for next season’s rookies, all he has to do is think or talk about Golden State guard Jordan Poole.
Poole was simply a mess as a rookie — he rushed his game, trying too hard to utilize his natural quickness, and his shooting percentage was shockingly low as a result. Many labeled Poole a bust after half a season, let alone a full season.
But Poole earned a reputation for being one of the hardest workers on the team during the following offseason and blossomed into a valuable NBA player last year. Myers says that he hopes that whomever he selects in the NBA Draft on July 29 will follow Poole’s lead with his training regimen.
“I’m hoping whoever we take works as hard as Jordan,” Bob Myers said in his chat with media on Monday, “because he’s a good story of a guy that really didn’t do much, actually was pretty criticized and not thought much of, to kind of turn it around — and I credit Jordan and our coaching staff. … If somebody comes in and beats him out, then that means that person’s pretty good.”
The Athletic
That’s quite a nod from Myers. He must be extremely happy about how Poole developed, clearly. He’s the one who selected him.
The Warriors still may draft a guard, however, despite Poole’s improvement. But Poole’s late-season run in 2020-2021 amounts to an enormous value for Golden State — Myers doesn’t need a combo guard. If Poole hadn’t progressed, he definitely would.
And next season’s rookies can look to Poole for guidance, to be sure. Poole, for his part, showed off his still evolving game in a Seattle summer league and appears ready to go. Now, we’ll see who Myers selects in the draft — as in, who’s ready to get to work in Golden State, just as Poole did.
Bonus: here’s some more footage of Poole’s summer league action.
Bay Area Sports Hub 