Friday night marks the first time Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole will return to the Bay Area to face the Golden State Warriors after they traded him in the offseason. Ahead of the matchup at the Chase Center, Poole and Steph Curry, who took the youngster under his wing, shared a special moment:
Jordan Poole and Steph Curry hug it out pregame 😭pic.twitter.com/CRtDKVT8ik
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 23, 2023
Poole spent four seasons with the Warriors but after the incident with Draymond Green, the organization ultimately decided to cut ties with the former Michigan standout, sending him to the Wizards in the Chris Paul trade. So far in DC, Poole is averaging 17.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game on 31 percent shooting from downtown. Given his bigger role, many expected a lot more out of Poole, but he's still adjusting to the new surroundings and has been criticized for attitude problems.
Curry was one of the Warriors players who really made a point of being a mentor for Poole, and it certainly helped. The 24-year-old saw his numbers improve each and every season with Golden State, averaging a career-best 20.4 points per game in 2022-23. But, he stunk up the joint in the playoffs, which likely played a part in the front office parting ways and deciding to bring in CP3 instead.
The Warriors head into Friday's contest as winners of three in a row, now sitting just one game below .500 at 13-14. The Wizards meanwhile are a disappointing 5-22 and remain one of the worst teams in the Association. Perhaps that would be different if Poole was putting up the same type of numbers as last season.
Regardless, he should get a warm welcome from the Dubs faithful.
Follow Us
Subscribe