Poole, Thompson in sync, as warm embrace shows

There was a moment at Chase Center recently that penetrated beyond its heartwarming nature and straight into the playoffs to come. Jordan Poole hugged Klay Thompson, and a sensitive issue vanished — most likely for good.

The Warriors had just scored a big win over Utah, and both men had fans in a joyous uproar. It was one of those nights when the team played so well, against a potential postseason opponent, Stephen Curry was able to enjoy his seat on the bench without concern. But Poole didn’t just embrace Thompson; he pressed tight and cradled his head on Klay’s shoulder, as if welcoming a long-lost brother. Of the many warm episodes that night, this was the most meaningful.

There hadn’t been anything close to a feud between the two men, only the awkward machinations of playing time. Poole had been a starter while Thompson completed the recovery from his multiple injuries, and the third-year sensation got pretty comfortable with it. Thompson returned in a fury and wasted no time shooting at will, relentlessly, even on nights he clearly was off. There were times when one wondered if he was actually hurting the team, including on the defensive end, where he made a couple of glaring mistakes over a week’s time.

Thompson really found his stride in that 111-107 win, scoring 36 points on 14-for-28 shooting and 8-for-17 from 3-point range, and he lit up the Lakers for 33 Thursday night. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear that he’s sticking with Thompson (anyone arguing to the contrary must be crazy) and said fans can expect a lot more of an intriguing combination that has worked brilliantly so far: Curry, Thompson and Poole on the floor at the same time, including the closing moments of a tight game.

Now picture Draymond Green at center, a crunch-time role he has played continuously over the years, and Andre Igoudala or Andrew Wiggins as the fifth man with everything on the line. If you’re still in doom-and-gloom mode over a Golden State malaise that lasted a little too long, perhaps even lingering into a firstround exit, forget about that if Curry comes back strong. The Warriors are rebuilding a powerhouse — the one that opened the season 18-2 — and the way it looks from here, they will outclass any team in the Western Conference until they get to Phoenix. (They will win that series, as well, but that’s a topic for another day.)

With all respect to Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, KarlAnthony Towns and Paul George (with Kawhi Leonard still an iffy possibility for the Clippers), their surrounding casts can’t match up with Golden State’s depth, outside-shooting potential or championship experience. If Poole continues looking like a future All-Star — his absolute identity for three solid months — no team in

conference will want any part of the Warriors.

“Jordan is going to be a huge piece to this run we’re about to make,” Thompson said after the Utah game. “To see how much he’s grown since his rookie year, I mean, wow, what a great player JP has become. And he’s only going to continue to get better. He is one of the best with the ball in his hands that I’ve seen in a long time.”

As for Kerr, he took note of that epic embrace, telling 95.7 The Game that it “basically symbolized that bond being forged. Because they’re finally in the fire together and they hadn’t been at all before now. It’s great stuff.”

The DH landscape

Like it or not, the DH has arrived in the National League. Here’s a rundown of how NL teams employed it on Opening Day: Atlanta: Alex Dickerson. Yes, the ex-Giant. … Colorado:

Connor Joe. Now it’s getting ridiculous. … Giants: Darin Ruf. One of many good choices, with Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, LaMonte Wade Jr., Joey Bart, Tommy La Stella and Austin Slater (among others) sure to follow. … St. Louis: Albert Pujols. Perfect. … Washington: Nelson Cruz. Storied slugger fits it perfectly. … Arizona: Seth Beer. The rookie hit a walk-off homer against San Diego — on National Beer Night, for heaven’s sake. … Dodgers: Justin Turner. One of many excellent choices. … Philadelphia: Nick Castellanos. Feared around the league. … San Diego: Luke Voit. Power threat in from the Yankees. … Cincinnati: Mike Moustakas. Aggressive slasher. … Milwaukee: Andrew McCutchen. Nice acquisition; he’s still got it. … Pittsburgh:

Daniel Vogelbach. Hit 30 HRs for the ’19 Mariners; tailed off since. … Miami: Jesus Aguilar. 93 RBI man for last year’s team. … Cubs: Rafael Ortega. Hardly

a prospect (he’s 30), but hit .291 last season. … Mets: J.D. Davis. Elk Grove product needs a comeback from injuries, and there are other solid options. … Summary: Hard to complain.

What we’d love to see from the Giants: First thing in the morning, fans can call up streaming video reviews of every minor-league game from the previous night. We get these highlights in spurts, but not in a comprehensive package. The system is loaded with top prospects, especially High-A Eugene, with shortstop

Marco Luciano, outfielders

Luis Matos, Hunter Bishop and Jairo Pomares (an electrifying Cuban prospect who has hit a combined .330 over four minor-league stops), catcher

Patrick Bailey and pitcher

Kyle Harrison. Those are all players with serious big-league potential, and the list doesn’t end there. … We don’t have to wait long for an early look at manager Bob Melvin’s compelling San Diego Padres. They open a three-game series at Oracle Park on Monday, having added Sean Manaea to a deep rotation including Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove and possibly hotshot prospect MacKenzie Gore. Full-blown superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. will be missed (out three months with a fractured wrist), but the Padres think so highly of rookie shortstop C.J. Abrams, they reportedly refused to include him when the Pirates offered ex-Giant Bryan Reynolds (.302 over 159 games in 2021) in trade. The Padres also made an opening-week deal with the Twins to acquire Giants reliever Tyler Rogers’ twin brother, Taylor, who made the All-Star team last season. (Nothing like Tyler on the mound, Taylor throws left-handed and over the top.) As LeBron James fancies the notion of playing with Curry, it’s fascinating to note that they were born in the same Akron, Ohio, hospital. But the all-Akron team (birthplace) doesn’t stop there, also including all-time greats Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson. Fill it out with Larry Nance Jr. and you’re in business . ... And finally, a toast to the retirement of Mark Ibañez, one of the best and nicest people in television broadcasting. Transition is almost a guarantee in that business, but Ibañez spent his entire 43-year career with KTVU, the Oakland-based Channel 2, and was a class act from start to finish.