Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole came off the bench for the first time all season on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets. This move didn't seem to matter much, as the Wizards still fell 130-110 for their 46th loss of the season, the fifth time in the last six seasons that the organization has had at least 46 losses.
After this game, Poole was obviously frustrated that he was benched by interim head coach Brian Keefe, but he offered reassurance that he was going to play his role to the best of his abilities.
“If there's any common sense, with the situation, you should know how I feel,” Poole stated, via Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. “But I'm just going to come out, do what I can do to help the team, keep it moving.”
Rookie swingman Bilal Coulibaly stepped into the starting lineup for the Wizards in place of Poole. The rookie played a total of 32 minutes, registering four points, two assists, and a rebound. For Poole, he played a total of 30 minutes off the bench, scoring 18 points on 4-of-17 shooting and 3-of-9 from three-point range.
Keefe spoke with the media ahead of Thursday night's game, claiming that the decision to move Poole to the bench was one that would help the group “improve as a whole.”
“One of the things we’ve liked about Jordan since I’ve taken over is that I’ve definitely given him the ball more and have allowed him to be an elite decision-maker,” Keefe said, via Wallace. “With some of the roster opening up, now there’s an opportunity for him to do that more and make our team more complete and be able to play a better, full 48 minutes.”
What this role change means for Poole's future with Washington is uncertain. The 24-year-old guard has not played well since arriving in the offseason, averaging just 15.7 points and 3.6 assists per game while shooting only 39.6 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from three-point range in a Wizards uniform. Poole has also averaged roughly 2.2 turnovers per game this season.
In the first season of a four-year, $128 million contract, the Wizards appear to be married to Poole. No team in the league, especially with the new financial rules put in place by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is going to want to take on that kind of contract for a player who has been struggling. The Wizards are hopeful that Poole will be able to embrace his new role off the bench, a similar one he held with the Golden State Warriors when they won a championship during the 2021-22 season.
As for Poole and his mindset, it wouldn't come as a shock if he views this change as a demotion rather than a move that can benefit the team as a whole.
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