San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
POOLE’S JOURNEY INSPIRES
Rise from G League provides example for aspiring players
As Selom Mawugbe watched the Golden State Warriors’ first-round playoff series last week from his parents’ Los Angeles-area home, he kept thinking about a game early in the G League bubble.
It was mid-February 2021, and Mawugbe was a reserve big man for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Sitting on the bench during a win over Raptors 905, he watched as teammate Jordan Poole weaved through multiple defenders and, while drawing contact, lofted in an acrobatic layup.
“This guy’s going to be an All-Star,” Mawugbe told a Santa Cruz assistant coach. “I’m talking NBA All-Star.”
Such a declaration would have seemed absurd to some. Poole was only at that G League bubble outside Orlando because he struggled to find meaningful minutes on a lottery-bound Golden State team. Now little more than a year later, he isn’t just in the NBA club’s playoff rotation — he is one of its go-to options.
Before the Nuggets overhauled their defense to make life difficult on him, Poole scored a combined 86 points in the series’ first three games. His rapid rise from G Leaguer to NBA difference-maker has made him an inspiration to basketball’s striving class: the thousands of players throughout the world who toil in a lesser league in hopes of carving out their niche at the sport’s highest level.
One of them is Mawugbe, a 6-foot-10,
230-pound center out of Division II Azusa Pacific whose shot-blocking prowess earned him a spot on the Warriors’ Summer League roster last August and prompted him to quit his day job at Lowe’s. As he prepares for a third season with Santa Cruz, he uses Poole as a blueprint: the early morning shooting sessions, the commitment to studying video, the numerous questions for coaches and older teammates. Though Mawugbe might not be as skilled, he is in a position like where Poole was 14 months ago. That parallel is enough to fuel Mawugbe through monotonous post-up drills and weightlifting exercises.
“I feel like he’s a great example of what the honest grind kind of yields,” Mawugbe said. “I say that because I saw it. I saw the work he put in day to day. I saw it in the bubble. I saw how much he loves the game and how much he loves improving.” What Mawugbe know was that Poole was frustrated when Golden State sent him to the G League bubble last season. Poole was fresh off scoring 16 points in a win over the Pistons that hinted at his offensive potential. Instead of building off that and vying for an NBA rotation spot, Poole would have to prove himself against G League players who earned roughly $7,500 per month.
Shortly after Santa Cruz arrived at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort, head coach Kris Weems gave Poole some clear directives: play hard on defense, concentrate on playmaking and, when necessary, take open shots. Left unsaid was that, to maximize this experience, Poole would need to avoid self-pity.
Free to initiate the offense and set the tempo, he played through mistakes, improved his court awareness and thrived in clutch moments. With 7.9 seconds left and his team down two in a game against the Salt Lake City Stars, Poole curled off a screen, caught the inbounds pass at the top of the arc, saw a lane and darted in for the layup.
The sequence helped force overtime, and epitomized why Golden State had sent Poole to the G League. There, Poole could learn what it takes to contribute when it matters most. Unlike some other assignment players whose NBA upside might tap out at fringe rotation player, Poole had everything required to stand out: the work ethic, creativity and raw talent.
During his 11-game stint at the G League bubble, Poole converted his new teammates and coaches into believers. Poole’s hesitation dribbles, quick first step and rapid-fire release reminded some of Stephen Curry. Even though players were encouraged to keep workouts light because of the 15-game, 25-day format, he often needed to be forced off the practice court.
Teammate Jeremy Lin, a former NBA player known for the “Linsanity” phenomenon almost a decade earlier, offered Poole advice on reading defenses and executing dribble-handoffs. While relaxing at the resort’s pool, Nico Mannion, a fellow assignment player, spoke with Poole about a shared goal — a lasting NBA legacy.
In those days, such a dream might have seemed far-fetched. Poole averaged 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists at the G League bubble, but he led Santa Cruz in turnovers and shot just 32.5% from 3-point range. To make sure his pupil didn’t get too down, Warriors forward Draymond Green called Poole from time to time and offered encouragement. Green’s message was always the same: “This is just part of your journey. Things will only get better for you.”
Green was right. By the time Poole returned to the big club, he was playing with confidence. Gone were the wasted movements that had plagued his rookie season. Instead of forcing shots, he stayed patient and turned down good jumpers for great ones.
In the 36 games after he was recalled from the G League last season, Poole averaged 14.7 points on 43.3% shooting (35.4% from 3-point range). His timely scoring helped the Warriors enter the postseason on a 15-5 run. In case anyone still doubted his ability, Poole chipped in 19 points off the bench in Golden State’s play-in loss to Memphis.
“As a person that was sent down to the G League on assignment, you are the man,” said Weems, now an assistant coach with the NBA club. “Everyone gears their defense toward you. He got blitzed, trapped and teams tried to beat him up.
“Now, teams can’t just pay attention only to him. And Draymond’s out there as our best playmaker. I think that’s why he’s thriving.”
Added Green: “That wasn’t the 2017 Warriors that Jordan was being sent down from. He was on a non-playoff team, and he was being sent down to the G League bubble. To see his maturity and how much he’s gotten better, it’s incredible.”
Now poised to receive a contract-extension offer north of four years for $100 million, Poole tries not to reflect much on his time in the G League. Asked Friday about his bubble tenure, he paused before saying, “It was good to get reps. It was good to go down there and play. It was overall a good experience. We went on an 11-game winning streak. That’s pretty much all there is to it.” However, those who work closely with Poole view last season’s G League assignment as a critical chapter of his career. Offered a low-stakes environment, he could test the limits of his offensive arsenal and become a more well-rounded player. If not for those weeks at Coronado Springs Resort, he might never have gained the confidence to hit big shots in the playoffs.