One of the most exciting recent storylines surrounding the Golden State Warriors has been the growth of Jordan Poole. The Michigan product was drafted in 2018 but has taken some time to develop. The former 28th overall pick spent time in the G League before joining the Warriors NBA squad. Poole made use of the injury-riddled roster and low expectations for the Warriors during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and made the NBA jump.

 

By modeling his playstyle around Steph Curry and the Warriors' offense, Poole paved the way for success in Golden State. He took the biggest leap forward this season and averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. He also shot 36.4% on 3-pointers and led the NBA in free-throw percentage at 92.5%. Poole's development has helped redefine this Warriors team and create a three-headed offensive threat alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

However, it is quite clear after Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics that the Warriors will need more from their X-Factor and off-the-bench spark.

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Warriors' Jordan Poole must turn things around after Game 1

While guys like Al Horford and Derrick White exceeded expectations in their NBA Finals debut, this was far from the case with Jordan Poole. In 25 minutes of play, Poole tallied nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. He was 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also tallied four turnovers and was exposed defensively over and over again. This turnover especially was a key turning point:

https://twitter.com/dieter/status/1532576384987455493

There is a great deal of responsibility being thrown at the 24-year-old, but the Warriors simply need more. Derrick White was the most impressive bench player on either side in Game 1. His 21 points and 5-of-8 3-point shooting opened up the game for Boston and made a major difference in the game. The Warriors need to be able to count on Poole to be the most dynamic bench player on an every-game basis. There has been much talk about whether or not to put him in the starting lineup, but the blunt truth is his level of play was not good enough regardless of which unit he plays with.

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Poole was unable to carry the offense with Stephen Curry on the bench and was a game-worst -19 in Game 1. His poor play on both ends at the beginning of the fourth quarter played a key role in the Celtics getting back in it. The moment looked too big for him and made him look unplayable.

Perhaps the biggest concern is on the defensive end. According to NBA.com, Poole allowed 18 points as the primary defender during the 25 minutes he was on the court. The Celtics' size and physicality were troublesome for Poole. As dynamic as he can be on offense, this could be a real concern in the series. The Celtics clearly have no fear of attacking him and have the 24-year-old circled in their game plan. The size across the entire Celtics roster limits where Poole can be hidden on this side of the ball.

Plus, this type of effort is just not acceptable:

If you choose to look at it through a positive lens, hopefully, Jordan Poole got his Finals jitters out of the way. At his best, he is a very impactful offensive threat that the Warriors need. It was disappointing to see him so careless with the ball in his hands and be so willing to take ill-advised shots. The margin for error is so small in the postseason, so this type of effort can sink the Warriors.

There is still plenty of time for Poole and the Warriors to bounce back in these NBA Finals. The Celtics brought a dominant effort and made a statement with their fourth-quarter performance. Golden State must make some notable changes ahead of Game 2, and getting Poole back on track must be at the top of the list. Poole wasn't the only Warrior to struggle in Game 1 (Draymond Green and Klay Thompson also didn't play well), but he was the worst out of everybody.

While Poole's defense will likely be problematic all Finals, he can still be a game-changer if he plays more in control offensively and finds his shotmaking ability once again. Against this Celtics defense, the Dubs need him to be at the top of his game and put more pressure on the defense. If he is not able to do that, he could find himself on the bench and the Warriors would be in a whole lot of trouble.