Subscribe
Follow Us
Things are not going according to plan for the Golden State Warriors this season. First, Klay Thompson goes down with torn Achilles tendon during the offseason, delaying his return for one more year. The Dubs’ newest acquisitions, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, haven’t elevated the team at all too. And to add salt to the wound, Stephen Curry is out for the foreseeable future because of a recent tailbone contusion. Nevertheless, there are still a few reasons to be optimistic for the Warriors. One of them is Jordan Poole.
Standing at 6’4”, Poole entered the league last season as the Dubs’ 28th pick from the 2019 Draft. With Curry and Thompson out of the lineup then, the Warriors relied on an unproven roster, which Poole was a part of. The rookie played 57 games for Golden State, even starting in 14 of them. He ended the 2019-20 season with averages of 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 22.4 minutes per contest.
Much like the Golden State Warriors, Poole’s sophomore season has been a rollercoaster ride so far. His card value, in comparison, is now rising steadily over the past few weeks. We take a look below at how this happened.
Jordan Poole and the first half of the 2020-21 NBA Season
Most fans didn’t expect the Golden State Warriors to come back to their championship form at the start of this season. There were too many doubts about the roster and untested talent out on the floor, most notable of which is James Wiseman. On paper, it looked like the burden of carrying the Warriors’ new lineup would fall onto Curry and Draymond Green.
Poole, in particular, didn’t have a spectacular first half this season. In the 15 games he played from December last year to the end of January, he averages a measly 5.5 points, 0.87 assists, and a rebound per contest.
When February started, Poole was sent to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors in Orlando. The guard exploded in the 11 games he played in the Bubble by notching averages of 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His impressive numbers led the Warriors to an 11-4 record, the second-best during G League’s regular season.
Once the G League wrapped up its season in Orlando, Poole was called back to the Warriors. While his first half of the season was terribly slow, Poole’s return to Golden State at the start of this month has been quite the opposite.
Jordan Poole’s last seven games
Article Continues Below
Poole’s first game back with the Warriors occurred just before the All-Star weekend. In a loss against the Phoenix Suns, the guard tallied 26 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, an assist, and a block in 26 minutes on the court. While Golden State would ultimately lose due to the absence of Curry, Poole’s performance was nothing short of startling.
After the All-Star break, Poole would score in double digits during the Warriors in games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Lakers. The fourth game against the Houston Rockets, however, proved to be a turning point for Poole as Curry went down with a tailbone injury.
In that contest against Space City, Poole would take off where Curry leading Golden State to a win by tallying 23 points in 24 minutes. In the following two games against the Memphis Grizzlies, Poole would fill the stat sheet once again by scoring 25 points in 34 minutes the first contest and 26 points in 38 minutes the following night.
25 PTS | 10-15 FG | 3-6 3FG
Another night of gettin' buckets for Jordan Poole 📽️ pic.twitter.com/rupqTIlphD
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 20, 2021
Doing the math, Poole averaged 20.9 during the last seven games he played for Golden State this month. In the three contests with Curry in the lineup, he would average 18.3 points. That number rose up to 25 points per game in the four nights Poole played without the Splash Brother in the roster. From those numbers alone, it’s safe to say Poole has been balling out and proving his worth as an offensive stud for the Warriors.
Jordan Poole and his value in the card market
It’s not only basketball fans taking notice. Card collectors and investors are also paying attention to what Poole has been doing on the court. This upward trend is very evident in the recent price comparisons of Poole’s PSA 10 Prizm rookie card.
At the start of February, prices on eBay for this slabbed card bottomed out at $42 and returned to $50 when March began. Last Saturday, a sale for a PSA 10 copy of Poole’s Prizm card hit $250 and cooled off the following day at $184.5. Those who took a gamble on Poole last month have now multiplied their investment in him.
As you can see, it pays to buy really low on select players who have shown glimpses of their upside. Keep an eye on guys like Poole in the card market, and their recent performances so you can spot great investments before everyone else does.
