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While Jordan Poole is one of the Washington Wizards' best players, he'll need support from his teammates in order to succeed this year. Luckily, Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert have both shown they're up to the task thus far.
Poole explained what he likes about George as a player.
Jordan Poole talks up Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert, who’ve both been preseason standouts ahead of tonight’s game against the Nets #wizards pic.twitter.com/DMKnVFyeX6
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) October 14, 2024
“Just his poise, the way he's playing. His confidence in taking open shots, he's really long and athletic, so he's good on the defensive end as well,” Poole said. “All of our young guys have been coming along really well. I'm excited.”
George has made an impact in all three preseason games, totaling 31 points on 61.1% shooting with 11 rebounds, seven assists, six steals, and three blocks across 64 total minutes. The 2024 second-round draft pick is also 7-of-11 from long range. If he plays like this into the regular season, he could be one of the steals of the draft.
Poole also praised Kispert.
“I love Corey's game. I love playing with Corey, he plays hard. Elite shooter, high-level shooter, so he can space the floor, but he also makes the right plays,” Poole said. “I think his athleticism is also underrated as well. He's strong, he can get to the basket read coverages.”
After a quiet outing in the preseason opener, Kispert scored 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting across the last two contests. The Gonzaga alum was 4-of-7 from deep against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, showing what can happen once he gets in a rhythm.
“Trying to get him going as early as possible just because it opens up so much for us over the course of the game, so trying to continue to get Corey to play how he's been playing,” Poole continued.
A dialed-in Kispert will inevitably space the floor for a Washington squad that has a more cohesive plan this year than in seasons past. With Poole as the permanent point guard, the former Golden State Warrior could use another reliable outside shooter alongside him as he facilitates the offense. Spreading the ball and avoiding isolation-heavy sequences will make the Wizards harder to defend, but that only works if several players are constantly shooting well.
Poole, though, is also looking inward as he starts his second season in the nation's capital.
Jordan Poole defines his Wizards goals
Poole admitted that “Point Poole” is still a work in progress when discussing his goals for the upcoming season.
“Getting more comfortable in the offense, gotta get guys in the right positions, figuring out the pace we can play at,” Poole said. “Just a learning process, overall in general just finding ways to play.”
With the additions of George, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Jonas Valanciunas, and the injured Malcolm Brogdon, there are plenty of new cooks in the kitchen for Poole to work with. The remaining preseason games will be crucial towards figuring out the offensive pecking order as the 2022 NBA champion tries to find himself as a facilitator.
Poole came into the league as a shooting guard on a Warriors roster with the likes of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Back then, the Michigan alum was a role player on Curry's offense, a hot-and-cold scorer who rarely had the controls. Now, he's a main character on a young Wizards team that needs his leadership.
Poole acknowledged that there's a learning curve as he adjusts to his new situation.
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) October 14, 2024
“Trying to keep speeding up my process. I feel like I sped it up already up until this point, so nothing's changed, keep working,” Poole explained. “In moments like this where you're playing a different position, new offenses, playing with new players with different skillsets, you're learning so much about yourself as well as just the game in general, so getting through all of this in training camp and finding ways to grow my game.”
Poole was benched in February after a rocky start to his Wizards tenure, but he regained his mojo once he came off the bench and switched to point guard full-time, continuing to play well once re-entering the starting lineup.
The trials and tribulations of last season's 15-67 campaign helped head coach Brian Keefe and company figure out that “Point Poole” is the best plan of action for the team offensively. Poole's quickness and dribbling skills give Washington a reliable foundation as its young players continue to grow, and he'll inevitably develop as a passer the more he plays the position as well.
If Poole can consistently get open looks for Bilal Coulibaly and the rookies, he'll be one of the franchise's most valuable players in years.
