Jordan Poole has been a revelation for the Warriors this season.
Aside from a midseason slump due to a fluctuating role, Poole has been Golden State's second-best player this season, with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green battling injuries and Andrew Wiggins disappearing after his All-Star selection.
This season, Poole is averaging 17.8 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point range. The Michigan product has scored at least 20 points in 13 consecutive games and will be a crucial piece to any title run Golden State hopes to manufacture.
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What has been the key to Poole's massive third-year leap? The easy answer is belief.
“Confidence. He was good last year, and he really turned the corner last year and became a good NBA player this year,” head coach Steve Kerr said prior to the Warriors' loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday. “He’s got so much confidence and belief in himself. So even if he starts slow, he has great faith that he’s going to get going in a game, and he knows how quick he is to get good shots up anytime he wants and create offense for us. He’s been great.”
Thompson has seen how hard Poole has worked during the start of his NBA career and isn't surprised that the guard has made a giant leap this season.
“Jordan has such a bright future,” Thompson said Friday after the Warriors' loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “The world can see that. And we need him. We need him to win, reach our goals. And I enjoy playing with him. He’s such an incredible ball-handler, shooter, scorer, and I look forward to seeing him grow every year. To be 22 years old and be able to do what he does, it’s a testament to his hard work, and his future is so bright.”
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Poole scored 26 points Sunday at Capital One Arena but was just 8-for-25 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
The Warriors will need a more efficient version of Poole to show up Monday in Memphis when they likely face the Grizzlies without Thompson, Green, and Otto Porter Jr.
That should only bring the best out of Poole. The Warriors rested their veterans last Wednesday in Miami, and Poole responded by scoring 30 points while shooting 10-for-18 from the field and 7-for-13 from the 3-point line.
There's reason to expect another big performance from him Monday night in Memphis. Poole certainly will.