Jordan Poole and the Washington Wizards are currently nearing the end of what has been a wildly frustrating 2023-24 season. Poole was traded to Washington from the Golden State Warriors this past offseason as part of the larger Chris Paul deal, and although many expected the talented guard to see his numbers skyrocket, the former Michigan Wolverine has struggled with consistency all year up to this point, resulting in the Wizards having the worst record in the entire NBA.

However, recently Poole has seen a slight uptick in his efficiency, including a mammoth effort vs the Los Angeles Lakers on February 29. Now, Poole is breaking down his recent move from the starting lineup to the bench has allowed him to play with more freedom.

“I wasn’t able to do what I was accustomed to doing in terms of how I built my game,” Poole said about his time in the starting lineup as the defacto point guard for the Wizards, per Martenzie Johnson of Andscape.

Poole also took the time to fire back at social media trolls who take issue with the great confidence he displays when on the court, even in the face of some rough shooting nights from the field.

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“The confidence thing has always stood out and been a staple just because not everybody’s a fan of that, just because not everyone has confidence,” said Poole. “Those who don’t have confidence are probably the ones who are hating.”

Up next for the Wizards is a road game vs the Chicago Bulls Saturday evening.