Golden State Warriors got a lot of criticism for picking Jordan Poole in the 2019 Draft, some called it the ‘worst pick in NBA Draft History’
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The 2016-2019 Golden State Warriors were who the Heatles thought they’d be. A team with a great leader guard, who added a superstar player, to sit atop the entire league. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green already establishing a culture, Kevin Durant walked in and instantly brought results.
The Warriors won one chip without KD, and since his arrival, they won two chips in three years(injuries prevented the first three-peat since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers). However, the summer of 2019 was a time of uncertainty for them. Kevin Durant was injured and took his talents to Brooklyn. Klay Thompson got injured, and they signed him on a max deal.
With a first-round pick in the Draft, the Warriors were looking to acquire someone who could make an impact soon. With the 28th pick in the Draft, they selected Jordan Poole.
Jordan Poole had people rooting against him since he got drafted
When the Warriors drafted JP, they already had two solid starting guards in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Coming out of the University of Michigan, Poole’s game was claimed to be a ‘one-directional shooter’ who lacked size and defense. In his rookie season, every team was out to get the weakened Warriors and take out their pent-up frustration. Jordan Poole averaged 8.8 points on 27.9% shooting from the deep.
Poole was sent to the G-League multiple times, but he never stopped working. In his sophomore season, he started showing brilliance while Steph torched the NBA. Fast-forward to the 2021-22 season, JP shot up his averages to 18.5 points, 4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds while playing alongside one of the best backcourt duos in NBA history.
In his first ever playoffs, Poole put up 17 points and 3.8 assists while shooting 39.1% from the deep.
Poole went from being called the ‘worst pick in the draft’ to becoming a key player on a championship team in 3 seasons. I guess those reporters would be biting their tongues now.
