Jordan Poole Has No Idea What He's Doing Out There

The Golden State Warriors should be the defending champions easily mopping up this young Sacramento Kings team but instead, the two teams are going to 7 games after a big 118-99 victory in Game 6 by the Kings to extend this series. Sacramento got a huge boost from the 26 minutes in which Jordan Poole looked like Steve Kerr pulled a random fan from the bleachers and threw him into a pressure-packed playoff series.

“It’s been that kind of game for Jordan Poole.”—Mike Breen pic.twitter.com/cSgo0ax0l0

— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 29, 2023

Jordan Poole has gotta stop doing this lmaoo pic.twitter.com/yZJcOsULZw

— John (@iam_johnw) April 29, 2023

Here’s what Poole finished with in that embarrassing Warriors L:

7 points
2-for-11 from the field
0 rebounds
1 assist

Before the season started, the Warriors gifted Poole with a 4-year $140 million extension. And I specifically use the word “gift” intentionally because a video leaked of Draymond Green punching Poole’s head off his shoulders at practice like, a week before that contract was signed. It was like an injury settlement when you slide on an oil spill at work and sue the company.

This contract made Poole the 40th highest-paid player in the league. He’s making more money than his teammates, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, who have accomplished far more in the NBA than Poole.

Let me pause here and make it clear that I am not one of those people who mock players for underperforming their contracts.

None of the money these athletes make is directly coming out of my pockets so I won’t pretend to be upset about how much anyone’s making.

I bring up his salary because I think Poole is suffering from imposter syndrome.

He had one decent season and was handed both a bag and a bigger role for a franchise that employs Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and a franchise that has annual championship expectations.

At age 23, I think we are watching someone getting caught lying on his resume.

He applied for a job he thought he could sort of figure out as he went and now he’s realizing he is nowhere near qualified enough to be starting for the defending champions against a hungry Kings team led by a sicko in De’Aaron Fox who finally gets a taste of the postseason and is enjoying the meal.

Jordan Poole is presented as this dynamic scorer but he finished the season shooting only 43% from the field and 33% from 3.

He averages 4 assists and 3 turnovers a night. He misses a ton of shots and has such a loose handle that he is prone to some of the worst-looking turnovers anyone’s ever seen.

And to make matters worse, he provides you with nothing defensively.

He’s lazy.

He doesn’t even try to fight through screens and he takes the longest paths back to his man after he gets screened which gives opposing teams so many easy buckets.

Jordan Poole really, really needs to be better on defense. He’s not the only reason for the Dubs’ woes on defense but man, does he stick out on film a ton.

Lackluster fundamentals, doesn’t do his work early, and just falls asleep sometimes. pic.twitter.com/CpzU8eKRLI

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) March 8, 2023

Some guys figured out back in high school or college or even in the NBA that the only way for them to convince their coaches to let them onto the court is to play tough defense and if they become lockdown defenders then they will have more playing time and more opportunities to get shots up.

See Dillon Brooks.

And other guys always had great handles or a great jump shot growing up and never had to worry about their playing time being taken away from them so they never even learned how to play defense.

How to move their feet.

Maintaining active hands.

Not reaching in.

The little stuff that makes a defender a real obstacle for a ballhandler.

Jordan Poole is the latter.

Right now in six games, Poole is shooting 33% from the field and 24% from 3.

Yet for some reason, he is out there as the third scorer when in reality, he’s not at all prepared to play on a stage this large with actual expectations for him to score at least 20 every night.

Poole is being cooked off the dribble by De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk and then being asked to return the volley on offense but I think he’s in over his head.

It’s time for Steve Kerr to trust his coaching and take some of Poole’s minutes and give them to Moses Moody who is a far more passionate defender and so far in limited minutes, has proven he can stand on the perimeter and hit open jumpers if asked to do so.

Draymond Green punched the confidence out of this man’s soul and now we’re watching a guy whose game is completely based on swag attempt to play postseason basketball with no self-esteem.

If the Warriors want to win another title, it’s going to have to be thanks to Steph Curry and all of the illegal screens that get him open. Poole might have to collect some DNP’s going forward.

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