Jordan Poole earned himself quite the bag despite having had a horrible rookie year and coach Steve Kerr talks about how he was a doubter too.
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Jordan Poole recently joined the $100 million+ contract club after earning his first big extension with the Warriors. The Dubs were the dynasty of the 2010s and Poole has developed into a bridge toward a bright future for them.
However, things weren’t always rosy for JP. In fact, while the 23-year-old was certainly a prospect and wasn’t close to the exciting talent he is now.
He was a late first-round pick who joined the Warriors in a weird situation for the franchise. Injuries across the roster meant that the youngster got more reps than anticipated, early on.
However, opportunity doesn’t necessarily mean success.
Poole was the league’s worst player in box plus-minus metrics and recorded horrible shooting percentages when he first started out for the Dubs. And suffice it to say, it wasn’t pretty to watch either, especially not for head coach, Steve Kerr.
In fact, even he wasn’t a believer at the time.
What did Kerr have to say about a rookie Poole and his subsequent growth?
Any great dynasty thrives because of the culture set around it. Individual talent doesn’t necessarily translate to success – just ask the Brooklyn Nets.
The Warriors are one of the best in the league at talent identification and development. Even their much-touted big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, were all drafted and developed by them into who they are today.
The culture is well set, and players who buy into the Warrior culture are more often than not, rewarded for their efforts. And it appears Jordan Poole is their latest draft success who earned his bag by playing into the culture.
Even coach Steve Kerr acknowledges the growth he’s seen in his young guard.
Steve Kerr on Poole’s rise: “I never would have guessed it. His rookie year, he was lost..”
Kerr commended Poole’s work ethic that led him to this contract.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 16, 2022
It would have met no criticism if Poole was waived for a cheaper roster spot with the team heavily invested in taxes already. However, neither party gave up. And a championship followed by a huge deal materialized.
A win-win, if there ever was one.
How bad was Poole’s rookie season in actuality?
With rookie guards, inconsistency and inefficiency is generally the norm. With Poole, it hit another level, as the young guard really struggled to find his groove.
The numbers don’t lie. And even the advanced metrics suggested the same. 8.8 points a game at 45% true shooting are absolute end-of-the-rotation numbers. Combining the same with a negative 6.6 box minus translated to more misery.
Poole even suffered relegation to the G-League. But while he did put up considerably improved numbers there, there wasn’t any hype around him whatsoever at that stage of his career.
It didn’t seem to be working out for the young guard until it eventually did, and there’s been no looking back since.
The “Third Splash Brother” is making waves in the league and success is once again on the horizon for the Warriors.
Also read: Jordan Poole’s Extension is Not a $140 Million Guaranteed – It’s About $17 Million Less!
