Klay praises Poole, hopes he gets paid in free agency

Jordan Poole’s phenomenal month of March continued on Friday with 24 points and 10 assists against the Atlanta Hawks. It was Poole’s first career double-double and the 12th straight game in which he has scored at least 20 points.

Though the Warriors lost 121-110 to the Hawks at State Farm Arena, Poole continued to show that he can be a consistent and reliable scorer in the NBA. The 22-year-old’s breakout season has impressed his teammates, especially Klay Thompson.

Thompson, who had 37 points on Friday, had high praise for the youngster.

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“Jordan has such a bright future,” Thompson said. “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.”

Poole has moved in and out of the starting lineup this season. He was a starter to begin the season while Thompson was working his way back from injury, then moved to the bench when Thompson came back. But after Steph Curry went down a few weeks ago, Poole returned to the starting lineup and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity.

RELATED: Kerr explains whether Poole's recent success impacts Klay

Poole is averaging 24.5 points per game and shooting 48.6 percent from beyond-the-arc in the month of March. 

Thompson called Poole a “cerebral player” with “incredible” 1-on-1 skills, and predicted that Poole, who will be a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 NBA season, will be “rewarded in free agency.” 

“I know he said earlier this season he has a goal of being an All-Star, and I told him he should because he has the ability to,” Thompson said. “And don’t let anyone tell him otherwise because he wants to be great, and you need that confidence to be great. I am so proud of Jordan and we need him to make a run this year.”

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