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San Francisco, CA – When it comes to star power, the Golden State Warriors have plenty. All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green make the team's big three. Then there's s a multitude of young, big-name lottery picks that could be the stars of the future. There's also third-year guard Jordan Poole, who Steve Kerr believes will be a big part of the team's success this season.
“I feel more confident in Jordan than ever. He's been our most consistent worker for two years now. You could see the confidence level. He's shooting shots with ease now that maybe he struggled with a couple of years ago because his body is stronger, more fit, and more fluid,” Kerr told ClutchPoints.
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Once the Warriors could have players in the practice facility after Covid-19 restrictions eased up some, Poole was the first player in the gym. Last year, you saw the work pay off as he had his best season thus far. In 19.4 minutes of play, he averaged 12.0 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field. Good numbers for sure, but Kerr wants more out of Poole this season.
“What I've challenged him with this year is to get better defensively, just like he made the leap offensively last year, we want that to continue, but we want him to be able to play with Steph (Curry). Kerr continued. “Which means he's going to have to guard some bigger guys, and he's capable. Rick Celebrini told me he's one of our strongest guys in the weight room. So there's no reason why Jordan can't take the next step at the defensive end, too, and that's what we're looking for.”
Poole willingly accepts challenges and beats the odds. It will be no surprise if the Warriors' third-year player is heading into an even better year than last. In late games, he might be the one called on to be a lockdown defender guarding the other team's best scorer. Poole becoming a two-way player could propel him into stardom, but winning games is what's most important.
