Jordan Poole has not played up to expectations this season. And for many that might be surprising, but not for those that know of the altercation that happened earlier this year. A punch to the face thanks to Draymond Green might have halted his career progress. Damian Lillard was of the opinion that while he was shocked, he wasn’t necessarily surprised. Lillard himself almost squared off with Poole and he was ready to unleash his combat training on the GSW player.
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Damian Lillard is one of the players in the league who wears his heart on his sleeve. Lillard has been mercurial for his franchise. And he is someone who isn’t afraid to throw a punch.
In a discussion earlier this year, he alluded to the fact that these altercations are common but he didn’t appreciate that the video came out in public. Also, Lillard and Jordan Poole themselves almost faced off last season.
Damian Lillard almost showed off his “combat training” to Jordan Poole and isn’t surprised about the incident with Draymond Green
Back in last season, Damian Lillard and Jordan Poole almost squared off. “I am at the free throw line and he is back there just talking. So I turned back and I’m like ‘shut the f*** up’ and he said ‘make me.’ So my natural instinct is like I train in combat, I am from Oakland.” Lillard told Colin Cowherd on his podcast.
No surprises there, Jordan loves to talk and to intimidate opponents. Not trash talk, just talk and that might be the reason why he and Draymond got into it. And Lillard hails from Oakland and although he is yet to be a part of a serious altercation on the court, his ‘combat training’ is yet to be seen.
Damian Lillard said that he wasn’t surprised about the whole thing taking place. He told that it was common in locker rooms to reach the boiling point. But he was shocked by the video surfacing.
“I think Draymond, who I know pretty well, probably walked away from that situation saying, ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that to my teammate.’ And Jordan Poole’s probably walking away thinking, ‘When I push somebody, I should know that something may come back.” Lillard told Sean Highkin last year.
The incident might be in the back of heads for now but it is evident, it still has left some lasting scars on the Warriors
Jordan Poole and the Warriors are facing an untimely exit from the NBA playoffs
Just last year, the Golden State Warriors looked unstoppable. They had built a solid young core and they looked invincible. But throughout the season and even in the post-season, we have seen cracks in the facade.
The Lakers are almost ready to deliver the final blow. A big reason for that might also be the fact that Poole has not looked like the player he is. His numbers have seen a decline and he hasn’t been able to gel with the rest of the team.
Draymond hasn’t played at his best either. So, it remains to be seen as to how the Golden State Warriors will be able to come out of it. As for Lillard, he has a big offseason decision to make.
