Jordan Poole has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season and the Golden State Warriors have struggled alongside him. But there might be a valid reason for his struggles. According to CJ Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes the issue might be the added defensive pressure Poole is seeing.

On the season, Jordan Poole is averaging 15.2 points per game, but his shooting efficiency has taken a hit from last season. He is shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three-point range. Last season his numbers were at 44.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.

Article Continues Below
More Warriors News
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) dribbles upcourt against the San Antonio Spurs in the second period at Chase Center.
Warriors rumors: Jonathan Kuminga free agency hit with harsh reality from InsiderJulian Ojeda ·
LeBron James, Stephen (Steph) Curry, who may be heading to an ESPN NBA broadcasting booth after they retire, after Lakers-Warriors game on December 25, 2024.
ESPN has ‘hopeful’ LeBron James, Stephen Curry wishAndrew Korpan ·
Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the third quarter at the Chase Center with Richard Jefferson in the background
Richard Jefferson drops Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Stephen Curry takeJosue Pavon ·
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena.
Warriors’ Draymond Green disagrees with LeBron James’ radical playoff ideaMalik Brown ·
Houston Cougars guard LJ Cryer (4) during team introductions before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena.
Warriors work out champion who shot 41.3 percent from 3-point landDavid Yapkowitz ·
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) meet after the game at the Chase Center.
Why Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski doesn’t want a Giannis Antetokoumpo tradeZachary Howell ·

With Poole's improvement as a player and him developing into a borderline All-Star type player, it stands to reason that he would begin to see increased defensive coverage. The Warriors definitely view Poole as one of their franchise building blocks and they rewarded him before the season with a 4-year, $140 million contract extension.

He made headlines during the preseason when he was involved in a practice altercation with teammate Draymond Green. The issue was handled internally, however, and both players agreed to move on.

Poole's development as a player has been just another successful story in the Warriors recent draft history. He was the last pick in the first round of the 2019 draft and his rookie season he looked like he was going to be out of the league after his first contract was up. He spent most of that time in the G League, worked on his game and now he's become an invaluable piece of the franchise.