It’s been strangely obvious and unspeakable at the same time, but the word is starting to get out: Warriors guard Jordan Poole plays a lot like superstar Stephen Curry. It’s wild, but it’s becoming more difficult to tell the two apart, especially with the “wow” factor in Poole’s game.
The BASH has already reported on this, dating back to last season. But after the Warriors’ win against the Nuggets in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, guard Klay Thompson, a superstar in his own right, commented on the similarity between Poole and The Golden Child.
“I play off Jordan very well. He’s so good on the ball screen. And he allows me to play off the ball and fly off screens,” Thompson told reporters postgame. “He allows me to be that catch-and-shoot sniper that I always was. He’s like Steph with the ball in his hands as far as his ability to shoot off the pick and roll. We’ve developed a great chemistry over the last month or two just playing ball.”
That’s right, the Warriors’ new “Death Lineup” featuring Poole, Thompson, Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green, has two players with the power of Curry, and Curry has led the Warriors to become one of the greatest franchises in sports.
Yeah, I’d say Thompson will have plenty of opportunities to be the sniper he’s always been. Poole draws defenders nearly as much as Curry does, who famously has “gravity” on the court with his ability to get the attention of an entire defense.
In fairness to Thompson, however, he didn’t say Poole and Curry are the same player, only that they are similar. And that’s true. I’ll do my best to not get carried away here. But this is really happening. Take a look at this comment about Poole from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater after the Game 1 win.
Since March 1, in 22 games, Poole is 90 of 210 from 3. That’s 16 more makes than the next closest player in the league at a 42.3 percent clip. Basically, for six weeks, he’s morphed into mid-prime Curry as a shooter and even done it in a variety of ways similar to Curry — off the dribble, catch-and-shoot relocations, coming off pin downs, stretching his range way past the line.
Anthony Slater/The Athletic
Poole’s Curry impression has the power to carry the Warriors to another dynasty. It’s that huge. As Curry and Thompson inevitably slow down a taste due to father time, Poole’s elite speed (I haven’t even mentioned how fast Poole is. It’s a skill that makes him different than Curry and better in at least one attribute), can make defenders scramble, leaving an opportunity for Curry and Thompson to hit wide-open shots.
And actually, forget father time. Poole is faster and quicker than almost anyone in the NBA, and he should have the ball in his hands often when the Warriors’ new Death Lineup is in the game.
I mean, how incredible is this? The Warriors have a baby Steph Curry. My only concern was about a potential fit on the court with them both out there. But Game 1 proved that it can work. A lot of that has to do with Thompson, too. He’s been a perfect fit for the controlled chaos that Curry creates on the court, and the same goes for his relationship with Poole.
Now defenders will scramble even more, and Thompson appears more relaxed than ever, ready to drain 3-pointers. It’s only been one game, but the Warriors again have a potential juggernaut on their hands. For the first time in a while, coach Steve Kerr is probably getting a full 8-hours of sleep thanks to the overabundance of talent on this fully-healthy (with respect to James Wiseman) Warriors team.
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