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The Golden State Warriors' decision to bring back Draymond Green just one week after he punched Jordan Poole, absent any official suspension, came after much deliberation between team power brokers and the parties directly involved. Still, it goes without saying that Poole could've squashed any hopes of fallout from the incident blowing over if he really wanted.
There's no denying the physical and emotional weight behind Green's vicious punch, dynamics only Poole truly understands.
He's yet to speak publicly since the altercation, but Kerr shed light on Poole's mentality Tuesday night as the Warriors mulled Green's return, stressing the confidence and composure that helped him rise from first-round bust to budding All-Star was pivotal. Above all else, Poole is simply ready to get back on the floor with Green.
“My observation of Jordan is that he's an incredibly mature young guy. I think we’ve seen that on the basketball side, with his work ethic and his ability to work through his rough rookie season, and go to the G-League bubble and do everything to get where he is now. It takes a lot more than just talent,” Kerr said of Poole. “This is a pretty special young guy. It was already reported after the incident he worked out for another hour on his shot. Came out whatever it was, a couple nights later, and scored 15 straight points at one point. He’s cool. Not much fazes him. I think that’s part of why we’re going the way we’re going, because we know that he’s fine, we know that he’s willing to move forward—he's willing to basically get back out on the floor with Draymond and go to work.”
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Kerr calls Jordan Poole an 'incredibly mature young guy.' Says Warriors wouldn't have brought Draymond Green back without his approval.
"He's cool. Not much fazes him…We know that he's fine. He's willing to basically get back out on the floor with Draymond and go to work." pic.twitter.com/RivCYt3PuE
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) October 12, 2022
Poole, remember, is currently up for a massive contract extension. He'll be a restricted free agent next summer unless the Warriors re-up him before the October 17th deadline for rookie-scale extensions.
Kerr said earlier this week that the coaching staff “hopes something gets done” regarding Poole's contract, keeping him in Golden State for the foreseeable future. Obviously, Poole's incredible efficiency during the Warriors' title run—in his playoff debut, no less—makes him worthy of being a fixture, and he certainly showed no signs of regression while dazzling during his team's preseason home opener. Just 23, Poole's best basketball is still ahead of him.
Trust that his mental makeup only adds to the sense of urgency Golden State feels while negotiating with Poole's representatives, though. Players who can create efficient, variable offense for themselves and their teammates like Jordan Poole are few and far between. Even rarer are ones who could so stoically weather the storm sparked by Green's punch, another shining point of leverage in Poole's favor as extension discussions continue.
