The Golden State Warriors haven’t had the kind of start they would have hoped for with their title defense. The 2022 NBA Champions stumbled through their first ten games of the season, having a 3-7 record. Things have improved as of late, with the Dubs now climbing to .500 with an 11-11 record. A big part of their slow start could be Jordan Poole.
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A strong candidate for the 6th Man of the Year last season, JP has not been quite himself this season. The 6ft 4″ guard has averaged 15.9 points and 4.6 assists this season. His numbers have dropped from the 18.5 points he was averaging last year.
However, the problem isn’t as simple. So far this year, Poole has a +/- of -66 this season. His time on the court has been hurting the Dubs, and his shooting could be one of the reasons behind the same.
Jordan Poole talks about his low shooting percentage this year
Jordan Poole has been an excellent shooter so far in his career. His shot was so good that people nicknamed him the Splash Cousin, adding him next to the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Last year, he shot 36.5% from the deep last season, and he upped the ante in the playoffs, shooting at 39.1% from the deep. However, this year, he’s shooting a mere 30.5% from the deep, which has been a cause for concern. However, it seems that JP isn’t all too worried.
When asked about the same, Poole said,
“Sometimes they just don’t go in!”
Poole used Klay as an example. After a slow start to the season, Klay’s shooting has picked up, with him shooting almost 50% from the deep in the last six contests. Hopefully, the same happens to Poole, and till it does, he’s learning all he can from Steph and Klay.
Was Poole’s $140 Million extension worth it?
Over the summer, Poole was given a 4-year, $140 Million Rookie Max Extension.
In my opinion, for what JP had done last season, he deserved the big bucks. It’s only a month and a half into the season, and people are already questioning what he brings to the table. It’s not like JP has continuously disappointed us.
When he starts, Poole averages 28.7 points this season.
The new bench rotation is taking Poole a little longer to get used to, with players like Otto Porter Jr, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II, and JTA not on the team anymore. However, it’s getting better and will continue to improve as the season progresses.
