San Francisco, CA – The Golden State Warriors are still without All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry has played without his fellow Splash Brother since the 2019 NBA Finals. Curry doesn’t have Thompson back but has found his new backup Splash Brother. It’s the third-year guard Jordan Poole.
In three preseason games, Poole is averaging 25.0 points on 52% shooting and 43.8% from long range. Sure this could be another crazy hot streak that players go on at times. But making plays is something Poole has always done, and it seems like he’s getting better right before our eyes. After Friday’s victory against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Warriors coach Steve Kerr talked about the duo and what makes them so good together.
“Well, you’ve got two playmakers on the floor at the same time. They are two guys who can attack and get into the paint and move the ball. There’s a lot of offense generated with Steph and Jordan on the floor at the same time,” Kerr told ClutchPoints.
Poole’s first two seasons in the NBA, he spent time in the NBA G-League. Not because he wasn’t good enough to play for the Warriors, though. It was more of the opposite. The team knew he could play for them. Going to the G-League was a way for him to get more minutes at an early age. The strategy looks like it’s working just like they planned.
In an interview on the ClutchPoints Warriors’ Multiverse podcast, Poole talked about how he didn’t look at the G-League as a demotion. People thought the certainty they saw in college started to dwindle once he was in the NBA. Poole informed me that people were wrong. He never lost his confidence because that’s just who he is. Playing alongside Curry is allowing the world to see it too.
Steve Kerr on Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry on the floor together:
"They give each other plenty of space, and you can see Jordan's not shy out there. It doesn't matter who's out there…The combination with Steph was good last year, and it continues to be good this year.”
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) October 9, 2021
“They play off of each other pretty well,” Kerr said. “They give each other plenty of space, and you can see Jordan’s not shy out there. It doesn’t matter who’s out there. He’s going to let it fly, which I love. His confidence is overflowing, so it’s good stuff. He’s had a great camp, just like we expected, and the combination with Steph was good last year, and it continues to be good this year.”
The emergence of Poole will later be a problem for the Warriors. But it will be an issue every team in the NBA wish they could have. Once Klay Thompson returns, that small dilemma will be figuring out who to play and when they should play. Having multiple options to choose from will be a treat and one Kerr should be looking forward to receiving.
Tuesday, the Warriors will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. In their last meeting, the Dubs impressively won 121-114. The new Splash Brothers combined for 58 points in that victory. Now they are looking to continue their cohesive play and extend the Warriors’ winning streak to four.
Don’t miss an episode of the Warriors’ Multiverse podcast by ClutchPoints. Episode 1 featured guard Jordan Poole.
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