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Dub Nation is pumped for this 2021-22 season as the Golden State Warriors attempt to climb back to the top of the NBA and compete for a championship. While some view them as dark-horse contenders, not a lot are convinced that Golden State is in the top-tier of favorite's for this season's crown.
It's easy to see why considering they missed the playoffs last year. Still, with Stephen Curry coming off an MVP-caliber campaign, Draymond Green anchoring the defense, and Klay Thompson returning at some point, it's going to be hard to count out the Warriors completely.
The Warriors are also much deeper this season. They took a pair of promising wings in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody in the 2021 NBA Draft after taking James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick last year. The Dubs also signed a number of reliable and high-IQ veterans in free agency, including 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
Golden State is definitely looking to surprise a lot of teams this upcoming campaign. In the same way, one Warriors talent will take a huge leap this upcoming campaign and will send shockwaves in the NBA. That man is going to be third-year guard Jordan Poole.
Dub Nation was understandably excited with what they saw from the 22-year-old last season, especially in the second half of his sophomore campaign. Golden State initially had high hopes for Poole entering Year 2. However, he struggled out of the gates and saw himself getting inconsistent minutes from head coach Steve Kerr.
There's no questioning his talent, especially with his ability to score the basketball. However, through the early goings of the 2020-21 campaign, Poole often looked lost and clearly needed more experience to develop the mental aspect of his game. With that, the Warriors opted to give the 6-foot-4 combo guard some extended run by sending him to the G League.
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Poole's stint in Orlando proved to be a success. He averaged 22.4 points through that 11-game run, where he experienced being the main focal point on offense. The former Michigan standout came back a different man when the Warriors recalled him from the G League. He immediately dropped 26 points upon his return and averaged 19.7 points on 49.6 percent field goal shooting and 41.1 3-point shooting in his first 10 games back.
Poole went on to establish himself as a fixture in Steve Kerr's rotation and became a key contributor and scoring spark off Golden State's bench. Through the final 36 games of the season, he turned in averages of 14.7 points in 23.5 minutes per game off the bench while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from 3.
Poole definitely looked more comfortable and confident with his game during the second half of the year. He showcased a more refined and diverse offensive arsenal, while also bringing out some extra sauce with his moves. Poole was also low-key clutch for the Warriors toward the end of the season with some of the big shots he made in crunch time. Just watch some of his highlights below:
With how well he played, the Warriors are expecting big things for the third-year guard this season. Thompson won't be ready to start the campaign, and Golden State will likely exercise caution and ease him back whenever he's ready to play again. Thus, Poole should carve out a huge role for the Warriors this season, especially as their main gunner off the bench. He could even win some games for Golden State and could find himself finishing most nights.
With a huge year of development under his belt, while gaining more confidence and maturity in his game, Jordan Poole will no longer be Golden State's best-kept secret. The 22-year-old will establish himself as one of the best spark plugs in the NBA and should be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year this upcoming 2021-22 season.
