Exactly 12 weeks and one day ago, the NBA officially recognized the trade that sent Jordan Poole from the Warriors to the Wizards in Golden State’s valiant attempt to mend a broken locker room. And maybe even recover their mythical culture.
This strategy can work. Acquiring 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, who is 14 years older than Poole – in return is a clear statement that the Warriors are abandoning their initial long-range plan and betting the bank on it that season.
But know there are times this season that the Warriors could benefit from Poole’s presence on offense.
What the Warriors will miss is the thing that JP – and only JP – brought to the roster. He has the fastest first step on the team, the fastest of anyone in a Warriors jersey since Monta Ellis, who is dynamic but lacks Poole’s shooting range and playmaking skills. There can’t be more than a couple of defenders in the NBA who have a chance to stay in front of him without getting caught or fouled.
Poole’s deadly first step always spells good things for Golden State. It could be a bucket that steals the spirit from an opponent or lifts the crowd at the Chase Center. If that fails, it may lead to a couple of free throws. Poole’s 415 attempts from the foul line last season led the team by a wide margin. Stephen Curry finished second with 281.
Kevon Looney was third, with 155 free throws, a total boosted by the fact that he was sometimes targeted for intentional fouls.
How important are these numbers? Enough to make a difference.
The Warriors, even with Poole, were 30th – dead last – in the NBA in free throw attempts last season, averaging 20.2 per game. They are 29th in making, at 16 per game. Being ninth in percentage (79.4) has little value, and that number is boosted by Poole’s 87-percent shooting, which trails only Curry (91.5) and Klay Thompson (87.9).
Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t spend much time highlighting his team’s weaknesses, but on several occasions last season he commented on the lack of line-taking. Drawing whistles is a skill. Kevin Durant has it. He can one-on-one his way to points. Same with Poole.
No one on this Golden State team has that kind of skill. Curry had no call. Thompson’s drives were infrequent, as were Andrew Wiggins’s. Paul had it early in his career, but tactical changes that resulted in fewer forays deep into the paint reduced his free throw total to half of what it was 10 times. years ago.
The Warriors will lose someone who can get to the line. Jonathan Kuminga may, someday, have that ability but his iso game remains on training wheels.
When the offense stalled last season, Poole often reverted to his iso game. It worked last season, where there were no questions about his emotional involvement. There were a lot of questions last season and we all know why. Good Jordan is often replaced by Bad Jordan.
However, even beneath the disaster that was Bad Jordan’s 2022-23 season, there were flashes of what made him special. Often lost between sloppy ball handling and skidding, the stumbles were occasional sparks of light that reminded everyone of JP’s work last season. Those moments are rare.
Poole’s contributions to the 2022 NBA championship squad are significant. After averaging 13.7 points on 44.8-percent shooting, including 36.4 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season, JP is warming up under the hot lights of the postseason. He averaged 17.0 points on 50.8-percent shooting, including 39.1 percent from deep in 22 games that ended with the Warriors lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
That’s when it became clear that the 6-foot-4, 195-pound combo guard has All-Star potential. Good Jordan is a beast.
When it was thought, with the emerging clarity, that Poole would be the next guard of the Warriors every defense in the NBA feared.
Poole doesn’t have Curry’s improvisational gifts and may never rise to that level. He has a release no more than a nanosecond behind Klay’s famously quick trigger.
The Warriors will be a better team next season than last season. Chemistry is important, and it can be the difference.
But it’s hard to imagine that during the 82-game season, there will be no opportunities for the Warriors to use Good Jordan’s one-on-one skills to create an offense.
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