SAN FRANCISCO – It took Jordan Poole six days to introduce himself to unaware NBA fans. He was so impressive in the three Warriors-Nuggets playoff games during that span that social media detectives dug up video mocking an analyst who in 2019 said he was “maybe the worst pick in the draft.”
Then came Game 4, in which the Nuggets laid upon Poole physical fury that at times approached that which is seen in the octagon. He walked off with 11 points and as many bruises in his least impactful game in eight weeks.
He can expect the same treatment Wednesday when the teams take the floor at Chase Center for Game 5. And teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson simply shrug.
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“He’s just got to keep doing what he’s doing,” Thompson said.
“The physicality is one thing; he’s fine with that,” Curry said. “It’s just that you can’t try to force your way through it and force the issue.”
This is not because the veterans don’t care about the youngster in his first postseason test. It’s because the physicality was expected. It’s a rite of passage. Both are confident, as is coach Steve Kerr, and have faith that JP will respond.
“That’s always part of the playoffs, especially with our team,” Kerr said. “We’ve always been a skill-based team. When teams make adjustments against us, whether it’s against Steph or Klay, or back in the day, Kevin (Durant) or Shaun Livingston, and now Jordan, it’s going to be ‘get physical.’ That’s the easiest way to try to combat skill.
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“If you’re a skill guy, you’ve got to go into the game with a plan. That’s what part of (Tuesday’s practice) was about.”
The team’s confidence in Poole, and trust in his skill, was evident over the course of this season. He thrived, as did the Warriors when he spent the first half of the season as a stand-in for Klay. Poole was outstanding in the second half of the season when most of his time was as a stand-in for Steph.
“He’s definitely shown the consistency over a sustained stretch of the season,” Curry said. “The different ways he gets his offense going. The attention he’s starting to draw. The strides he’s making defensively to increase the effort and awareness and focus on that end of the floor.
“That work ethic and the approach behind the scenes, that not many people get to see, that’s where the trust is built.”
Golden State’s trust in Poole’s skill, however, goes back to his final weeks at the University of Michigan.
In scouting conference tournaments, the Warriors do as most teams do, scattering evaluators across the country. Vice president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy, then an assistant general manager, found himself drawn to Poole’s presence in the 2019 Big Ten Tournament.
When general manager Bob Myers quizzed Dunleavy about his observations of the tournament, the response was overtly positive about “the Poole kid,” a slender sophomore guard.
“I asked Mike, ‘What can he do?’” Myers recalled. “He said, ‘He can dribble, pass, and shoot.’ We saw that he was capable of doing all three things.
“A lot of guys in the NBA can do one or two of those things well. Not that many do all three really well. He could.”
After two pre-draft workouts, the Warriors were convinced Poole could flourish in all three areas at the NBA level. Other teams were much less certain, which is why some questioned the decision to draft JP with the 28th overall pick.
“I think some people thought it was too early for him in the draft,” Myers said. “But you’ve got to go with what you believe. And that’s what we thought.”
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That belief can’t be shaken by one game in which Poole was neutralized.
Up and down the roster, among the coaches and personnel staff, there is complete faith that he will make the proper adjustment for Game 5 and beyond.