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Celebrating and showboating after a nice play have always been a big part of the NBA, and Jordan Poole is especially known for that. However, famed TV personality Stephen A. Smith doesn't think the Washington Wizards guard has earned the right.
Poole won't stop being himself, though.
I asked Jordan Poole how he felt about Stephen A. Smith’s recent comments…he laughed it off and dismissed it as “barbershop talk” #wizards pic.twitter.com/rwkAgBswQT
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 18, 2024
“Nah, I don't even be watching it [Smith's show],” the former NBA champion said with a smile after Wednesday's practice. “It's just barbershop talk to me. That's all it is.”
Smith criticized a viral moment during Sunday's 112-98 loss to the Boston Celtics. Poole crossed up Celtics guard Payton Pritchard and pointed at him when he fell to the ground, but the playful taunt allowed fellow Celtic Sam Hauser to close out. Thus, Poole had to pass the ball instead of taking the wide-open jumper seconds earlier.
Both the play and Smith's comments are in the clip below, via ESPN First Take.
"Gone from a champion [in the Warriors] to a [Wizards] team that since he has arrived is 18-88. 70 games under .500 but you showboated. That's why his a*s is in the nation's capital."
Stephen A. Smith on Jordan Poole's taunt to Payton Pritchard.pic.twitter.com/KrVOuhvhG2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2024
“We all know he caused a little trouble in Golden State. Ego got a bit big. We know how Draymond [Green] responded to that, and ultimately how he couldn't stay there any longer,” Smith said. “So he gets moved, and he gets moved to a situation going from a champion to a team that since he's arrived is 18-88. 70 games under .500, but you showboated. That's why his a** is in the nation's capital.”
Poole, of course, played for the Golden State Warriors before they traded him to Washington in July 2023. Smith referred to when Green punched Poole at practice in the fall of 2022, framing it as a result of the latter player's ego. Poole had reportedly called Green an “expensive backpack for 30,” implying that Steph Curry carried him throughout his Hall-of-Fame-caliber career, via NBC Sports.
Old locker-room drama aside, does Smith have a point, or should he relax?
Jordan Poole has matured on the Wizards
When Golden State drafted Poole 28th overall in 2019, he was a different player and person. The Michigan alum was coming off a successful collegiate career in which he led the Wolverines to two straight Sweet Sixteen berths. While he often flashed his dynamic scoring ability in both the NBA and G League his first couple of seasons, he was criticized for having more flare than polish.
Poole's basketball IQ hadn't evolved yet, as he sometimes took ill-advised shots instead of spreading the ball around, which led to streaky results. However, the Milwaukee native took a step forward in the 2021-22 campaign, becoming a mainstay in Golden State's rotation and leading the league with a 92.5 free-throw percentage. It's no coincidence that the Warriors won the championship that year.
Poole played well again the following season despite the drama, averaging 20.4 points and 4.5 assists across 30 minutes a game while appearing in all 82 regular-season contests. It was clear at this point that the talented showman was ascending.
Poole getting traded from a contender to a losing team as a punishment for being egotistical is one way to spin the narrative, but what does it matter? The NBA is a business, and organizations are more worried about winning than settling petty scores with young and rising players.
While Golden State's brass may have favored the well-established Green over Poole, it didn't ship out the latter hooper for nothing. The Warriors didn't trade him until they felt they could get a valuable return, which turned out to be 12-time All-Star Chris Paul.
Nowadays, “Point Poole” is flourishing in Washington. The 25-year-old is having a career year running the Wizards' offense, averaging 20.3 points and 5.1 assists with a 43.4 percent clip from the field and 39.2 percent from deep. While the Pritchard incident wasn't his finest moment, it's nothing compared to how much he's helped the team, as he leads in points, assists, and steals (1.7 per game). His assist and three-point shooting averages are both career-highs, which also shows growth.
Additionally, it's not a revelation to point out that a rebuilding organization has recently struggled. While Washington isn't winning many games right now, Poole is leading a young group that has shown promise, and these games are important for its development. Moments like Bilal Coulibaly shutting down the league's best players on the perimeter or Alex Sarr constantly blocking shots show that the reps are paying off.
Conflating Poole's Warriors era with the Pritchard incident doesn't hold much weight considering his body of work in the nation's capital thus far. However, “barbershop talk” will always occur, and these types of narratives are par for the course.
Poole, though, has bigger fish to fry as he reaches his prime.
