Kyle Kuzma’s 32-point performance on the road against the Detroit Pistons yesterday carried the Washington Wizards to only their 3rd win of the season. It happened despite another scratchy performance from Jordan Poole, who has been under the spotlight ever since he got traded from the Golden State Warriors.
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Poole could manage only 10 points with 3-9 shooting and 3 assists against the 2-15 Pistons. The 24-year-old was completely shut down by a tenacious Detroit defense that seemed intent on locking him down. However, during a particular play, Poole was noticeably put into a headlock by the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, who proceeded to shove him later on without any obvious reason.
According to a video posted on Twitter by Bet Player Props, Poole was merely running inside to receive a pass when Stewart intervened. Not only did Poole not get a foul call for the headlock, he also ended up with a tech for arguing with the refs for the no call.
According to another video gaining traction on NBA Twitter, this one posted by ²³, Poole was later seen addressing the referee again for not calling a foul for the headlock. “You f**ing suck. You suck,” Poole can be seen telling the ref.
The 22-year-old Stewart did not have eyes on the player in possession and had initially appeared to put Poole in a headlock, who escaped. However, as the rebound dropped, Stewart shoved Poole, and the referee ended up calling a foul on the Wizards man. The incident prompted a surprised reaction from even the fan who posted the video.
“A foul was called on Jordan Poole on this play. For getting put in a headlock then shoved. Apparently the refs hate him more than Draymond does,” the fan’s tweet read. While Jordan Poole has himself been guilty of lacking consistency and form, calls like the above are bound to make things all the more difficult for him.
Kevin Garnett believes Jordan Poole should be out of the NBA
Poole’s season thus far has brought forth criticism from all corners. Kevin Garnett, for example, recently claimed that the Wizards star should simply be out of the league, reacting to the recent viral clip of Jordan Poole during the timeout.
Garnett had questioned what Poole had learned during his time at the Warriors and wanted him to bring more of a champion mentality. On the other hand, former Warriors star Andre Iguodala was supportive of Jordan Poole recently.
Iguodala suggested that instead of getting drowned in the criticism, Poole should stay strong and continue working on his game. Claiming that he was bound to have some difficult games, Iguodala seemed confident that things will turn a corner if Poole simply kept his head down and worked hard in the coming time.
