The most enduring memory of Jordan Poole's first playoff run—to opposing fans, at least—is certainly Ja Morant dropping him to the floor en route to a go-ahead floater during a second-round loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Golden State Warriors guard was frequently targeted by the likes of Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum in later rounds, too, prompting an assumption he wasn't cut out for the postseason pressure cooker.
Three months later, footage of Morant embarrassing Poole only makes that notion more obvious. This just isn't what a playoff-caliber defender looks like.
Steve Kerr knows Poole's capabilities better than anyone, though, and apparently believes he has the natural defensive chops to be much more than superstar prey on defense
Appearing on Real Ones with Raja Bell and Logan Murdock of The Ringer, Golden State's coach left open the possibility of Poole becoming a two-way stalwart, not unlike prime Klay Thompson.
“Jordan Poole took a leap last year and became a really high-level player. And so his next step is to become a better two-way guy,” Kerr said. “He's a really dynamic offensive player. He's much stronger and more athletic than I think people realize—even maybe more than he realizes. So can he become a two-way guy like Klay Thompson? That's his next step.”
Poole acquitted himself extremely well offensively during his playoff debut, averaging 17.0 points in 27.5 minutes per game while hitting 62.7% of his twos and shooting 39.1% on a high volume of tough tries from beyond the arc. He was especially dominant while moonlighting as a starter against the Denver Nuggets before Stephen Curry reached full health, dropping 86 points over the first three games of the series.
But Poole's major deficiencies as a one-on-one defender were eventually exposed against superior competition, leaving his role and minutes inconsistent for the last three rounds of the playoffs. Opposing players shot 49.5% against Poole as a primary defender, per NBA.com/stats, 4.7 points better than expected.
That's a noisy number, but confirms an eye test that suggests Poole was Golden State's one true weak link defensively.
Despite Kerr's casual comparison, it's unrealistic to expect Poole to develop into a defender like Thompson was at his peak. Thompson has three inches and at least 25 pounds on Poole, not to mention the functional strength and all-around grit needed to guard up to four positions near an All-Defense level pre-injury. Poole really may be stronger and more athletic than he realizes, but he'll still never have the physical traits to check star wings without negative consequence.
Who on the Warriors is a much more realistic analogue for Poole's defensive ceiling? Stephen Curry, who's tirelessly worked himself into being the rare point guard who isn't imminently exploited by the opposition.
Don't expect Poole to reach that rock-solid level of individual and team defense this season. Steady improvement is all he'll need to show to be on the floor for some of the Warriors' biggest late-game moments in 2022-23, and the clear confidence Kerr has in Poole's potential on that side of the ball should go a long way toward him making it.
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