The Washington Wizards cannot seem to buy a break, and a big reason behind this is their star acquisition: Jordan Poole. Getting Poole from the Warriors over the summer, the Wizards assumed they had the perfect 1-2 punch with Kyle Kuzma. However, that hasn’t been the case so far this season.
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To make matters worse, Poole has already won a Shaqtin’ A Fool honor and continues to do things that keep sending him towards the same. The latest clip came from Brooklyn, where the Wizards were playing a game on Sunday. A fan recorded a timeout where Poole did not seem interested in the play the coaches were drawing up and looked like he was engaged elsewhere, as can be seen in the clip uploaded by Overtime.
Jordan Poole during this timeout 😭
(via @The_BTC_Classic) pic.twitter.com/XVI4Y9chgx— Overtime (@overtime) November 13, 2023
After the loss to the Mavericks tonight, Poole spoke out about the same. He defended his actions and the ‘unserious’ allegations that are constantly being levied against him. First, he called out the fan who recorded the video. “How is somebody supposed to give that commentary from the middle of the stands,” asked Poole. Then, he went on to explain what happens in timeouts.
“I saw the play, I went back just to ask a question just to make sure… Sometimes I sit down, sometimes I don’t… It’s a very normal timeout honestly, wasn’t anything that was different.”
Jordan Poole on the timeout video in Brooklyn
“How is somebody supposed to give that commentary from the middle of the stands? … I saw the play, I went back just to ask a question just to make sure. … It’s a very normal timeout honestly, wasn’t anything that was different.” pic.twitter.com/vusafJ6CF8
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) November 16, 2023
Adjusting to a new system is never easy. However, in this young season, it’s almost like no one wants to give the 24-year-old a chance to get used to things. They want him firing on all cylinders all the time, which is easier said than done.
Former NBA players called out Jordan Poole
Last game, after the Wizards blew a 23-point lead to the Raptors, Paul Pierce had some words for Poole. He went on his Twitter and called out the Wizards guard.
Jordan Poole finding out how hard it is to be the Man. When the scouting report is all about u it’s tuff .😳😳
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) November 14, 2023
At the same time, his co-host, Kevin Garnett, called out Poole for being too arrogant. Garnett, who had bet on Poole to really emerge as a star this year, was regretting his pick while addressing Poole’s mishaps against Porzingis.
Even though it looks like the odds are stacked against Poole, this is still a very long season. Poole is shooting 40.6% from the field and 30.1% from the deep. If he can find a rhythm with his new team, JP can turn around his fortune. He might even make people forget this forgettable start to his new chapter. It is easier said than done, but we still have nearly five months of regular season ahead of us.
