Warriors offseason: The misconceptions around Poole
Warriors fans' answer to a disappointing offseason is to trade Jordan Poole. Should the team pull the trigger?
Before the NBA season began, Steve Kerr called Jordan Poole part of the Warriors' “foundational six” alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney.
In the latter part of this Warriors dynasty, that responsibility carries weight. Amid Poole's disappointing and messy season and playoffs, that designation was forgotten.
Because of his disappointing year and large contract, Poole's name has been tossed onto the trade block. While the Warriors can certainly afford to pay the $370 million in payroll ($200 million in salary, $170 million in luxury tax penalties) they paid this year, ownership doesn't want to push the limits in coming years.
Moving Poole for some new faces in a retool is a logical option, but ignores a reality that the young guard isn't the Warriors' problem.
The Warriors signed Poole to a four-year, $128 million contract because they saw him as someone who could help usher in a few more title runs in the Curry era and possibly carry the torch after the Big Three retire or move on. But the fanbase's faith waned rapidly as Poole's clumsy turnovers, poor 3-point shooting and defense and outward disdain for being benched coincided with Golden State's mediocre sixth-seed finish and early playoff exit.
Under duress, Poole didn't mimic the composure his future Hall of Fame teammates had when times got tough a decade ago.
Should Poole be the fall guy for Golden State's dissatisfying regular season and second-round playoff exit? The Warriors may not want to give up on his talent despite a down year.
“I called him one of the foundational six at the end of last year, and I still believe that,” Kerr said this week. “It's important to remember, Jordan did some really good things this year. He had a tough playoff stretch, but he averaged 20 points a game for us. It's hard to average 20 points a game in the NBA.
“He helped us win a lot of games. He helped us win a championship a year ago. He would be the first to admit it wasn't his best season. But that's how these things go. That's how careers go.”
It's true, despite Kerr's glowing comments, that Poole frustrated the coaches and his teammates at times. And some of that was caught on camera: He was filmed arguing with assistant coach Anthony Vereen over a foul call and Curry once threw his mouthpiece in disgust with a bad Poole shot (the pair later joked about the outburst).
It's also true that Poole was very well-liked in the locker room — he's close with most of the other players, including Andrew Wiggins, Donte DiVincenzo, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II.
“I'll ride with Jordan till the wheels fall off, to be honest with you,” DiVincenzo said after the Warriors lost to the Lakers in Game 6. “The amount of attention he has, the spotlight on him; I see him come in every day and never changed his work ethic. Never changed the type of person he is, and you know, for that, I have a great deal of respect.
But the thing is, he's still willing to learn. He's still willing to accept different voices for him to get better. But the one thing about JP that I admire the most is his confidence. It never wavers, and we're definitely going to need that to go forward.”
Poole played all 82 games this season and averaged 20.4 points. And while Thompson got much of the praise for keeping the team afloat in Curry's two extended absences due to injury, Poole held the fort, too. He averaged 26.1 points and five assists in the 26 games that Curry missed.
Poole also got punched at the start of the season and shared a locker space with the teammate who punched him. Green admitted his punch diminished trust in the locker room and has taken responsibility for the ripple effect it had on the Warriors' season — but it should also be noted that Poole kept a professional face on.*