Jordan Poole gave all the indications of being the successor to Stephen Curry last season when he helped the Warriors win the Championship. However, after getting a contract extension worth $140 million (including bonuses), there was a consistent dip in his effectiveness throughout the 2022-23 season. But DeMar DeRozan and Paul George feel it was a one-off season for the 23-year-old guard. They equated it to something that even Michael Jordan went through at the beginning of his career.
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The 6ft 4″ two-guard had a career season last year. Helping the Dubs finish as 3rd in the West, he was averaging 18.5 points, playing just 30 minutes per game, and most of it was from off the bench.
He was shooting around 45% from the field and 36% from the 3-point line. In the 2022 post-season, he averaged pretty much the same with shooting splits of 50% and 39% respectively. He was bound to grow.
However, he was quite inefficient this season and has shot under 35% from the field and 26% from the perimeter in the Playoffs. His woes compounded as the Dubs got eliminated in the 2nd round. He put doubt in everyone’s mind about his ceiling. But some veterans are here to defend the youngster.
DeMar DeRozan and Paul George defend Jordan Poole’s lackluster season, comparing it to Michael Jordan
Comparing any young player to Michael Jordan is just not fair. But since ‘Jordan’ Poole shares one part of his name, DeRozan thought it would be right to compare his struggles to the same ones MJ went through.
“He [Jordan Poole] probably needs this moment to become more, later down the line, it sucks in the moment, … I’ve been through it, P [Paul George] been through it,” DeRozan spoke of JP’s struggles on Podcast P with Paul George on YouTube. “We not Michael Jordan, even he had his moments, where he was some sh*t. He figured it out, and that made him more resilient to come back even better.”
PG agreed to what DeMar had to say. But in all fairness, Jordan never switched off during the Playoffs like Poole did this year, or like how Debo or PG have done multiple times in their career.
At the start of his career, Jordan did fail a lot in the post-season (6 straight times!) before making some significant changes in his game and then making it to the Finals and winning it all 6 times in 8 years. Jordan stepped up.
All notions aside, we must understand the gist of what DeRozan and George mean and not thrash the 4th year guard like he is a veteran.
Can the Warriors depend on Poole for next season?
For the Warriors fans, who already want him out, let us not behave like Jordan Poole did not average 20 points per game with the same amount of game time in the regular season as he did last year.
He might have been a little less efficient in doing that compared to the efficiency of his teammates, but they are all-time greats. Even the elite shooters in the game have multiple off-years. The Warriors do need some personnel changes, but Jordan Poole isn’t the one they should look at as a trade asset. He has everything to be the next face of the franchise.
They also have Steve Kerr as their head coach, who has played under Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. He can bring changes in Poole’s personality, which has also been questionable this season. And with league vets backing him, we can fully expect Poole to come back, firing on all cylinders.
